A Simple Act
by Averlovi
Summary: Sometimes it is but a simple act of kindness that can change worlds. With the war ended and magical Britain trying to pick up the pieces, Harry and his friends embark on their seventh year at Hogwarts. Whilst a shy Daphne Greengrass looks forward to a final year at school without the looming presence of Malfoy and his ilk to threaten the peace. Four Piece Story. HP/DG & RW/HG.
1. Chapter 1

**A Simple Act**

_A wonderful thank you to Dorothea Greengrass who has beta'd this piece and who has offered her help for this short fic. If you haven't read her work then you can't call yourself a haphne fan!_

_Chapter One – I Promise, You Will Be Safe_

Sometimes it is but a simple act of kindness that can change worlds.

Harry Potter, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger flopped down into their spaces on the Gryffindor table in the Great Hall. Throngs of students entered for the first night of the school year, smiles dotting their faces. They had every reason to smile: the great threat of the wizarding world had been banished, and the Death Eaters were either dead or locked away. The golden trio exchanged bright smiles to one another. It was a rather heart-warming scene, and reward enough for the hardships of the quest Dumbledore had given them, and the losses they had suffered.

"This is it, boys, at last a year we can just be normal. Homework, Quidditch, hell, even the occasional moment in a broom closet." Hermione giggled.

Harry and Ron gaped at each other. "Who are you and what have you done to Hermione Granger?" Ron asked, eyes wide.

"Broom closets? Gods, Hermione, you would've slapped us silly if we joked about that in the past!" Harry leaned over the table and took a closer look at his best female friend, as if he wanted to make sure it was really her and not a Polyjuiced imposter.

Ron nodded his agreement.

Hermione rolled her eyes and laughed.

"Look, the way I see it we need to enjoy this year. So Ron, if you feel the urge to whisk me away, please do by all means!"

The young men shared another incredulous look.

"Unless I have an essay in front of me of course, then do not, I repeat, do not come near me." She smirked at them.

"Phew!" Harry let out a breath and wiped his forehead with the upper side of his underarm. "There she is. For a moment I've been worried you'd been hijacked by aliens and replaced by a bad copy." He chuckled.

Ron looked like a beacon with his flaming cheeks. "I don't even know any good broom closets."

"Really, Won Won? I wouldn't have thought that." Harry's teasing earned him a round of laughs from Hermione, and Ron chimed in, albeit somewhat reluctant and with a mock-glare at his two friends.

The appearance of Professor Flitwick, ushering the first years into the Great Hall for the Sorting ceremony, silenced them. The class was larger than usual, due to the many Muggleborns who had had the good sense not to accept their letter last year, and the Sorting seemed to drag on for hours. Midway through the Sorting, Ron's stomach let out a loud groan, and Hermione had to cast a quick Silencing Charm over herself and Harry not to disturb the ceremony with their uncontrollable giggles. At last, the Sorting came to an end. Ron's face perked up at the prospect of food - and fell when Headmistress McGonagall stood up and gave a rousing speech on unity to which most students, including the Slytherins, responded with long-lasting applause.

"Before we sit down to eat I would like to announce the head boy for this year, Mr Harry Potter!" She made a sweeping gesture to the Gryffindor table.

Loud cheers echoed through the Great Hall, the students clapped and stomped their feet, and a rather red-faced Harry stood up to thank them and accept the claps on the shoulders and good-natured ribbing from his friends and housemates. Ron led the congratulations, he'd long since given up his jealousy towards Harry after all he had been through.

Headmistress McGonagall, a proud smile on her face, paused for the outbreak of cheering from the students that filled the Great Hall. She had to wait quite a few minutes until she could continue with her announcements. "Our head girl this year will be Hannah Abbot. Now, tuck in!" The headmistress finished her speech, clapped her hands, and the food appeared before them.

The students didn't need to be told twice.

"Why didn't you tell us Hannah was going to be head girl, Harry?" Hermione asked and put some vegetables onto her plate.

Harry didn't interrupt himself ladling chicken legs on his plate from a golden serving dish. "I was told not to say anything, Hannah said she was quite surprised herself." He grabbed his cutlery, cut off a bite and put it into his mouth. His eyes seemed to roll into the back of his head with pleasure, and he barely suppressed a groan. That was so good! The chicken was his new favourite these days.

Hermione winked at him. "Maybe you could get cozy with her?"

The next bite of chicken leg caught in Harry's throat, and he coughed.

Ron went wide-eyed with shock and he spluttered,

"Bloody hell Hermione, he and my sister just broke up. Did you drink on the way up here or something!".

"That's right, Harry needs to move on. I know she is your sister Ron, but she did cheat on Harry..."

Harry knew his friends and sensed another typical Hermione and Ron squabble developing. It was about time to interfere and get the heat off himself. "Technically we weren't together at the time. Can we discuss something else? Like silencing charms, you two should learn them. Seriously."

Both Hermione and Ron blushed crimson, and he suppressed a grin. Mission accomplished

"Look at them, fucking slimy snakes! Why are they even allowed back here?" The remark came from further down the table, the speaker didn't even care to lower his voice. Harry leaned over to get a good look at who was talking. Cormac sat there with a scowl and looked over at the table full of emerald trimmed robes. Something hot welled up in Harry. They hadn't gone through all the hardships and suffered all the losses just to carry on with old prejudices. Those who were guilty were caught and brought to justice, and those who had committed no other crime than being related to them or sorted into the house of Slytherin needed a new beginning, or there soon would be another Dark Lord.

"What was that, Cormac?" Harry called over.

The older Gryffindor snapped his head round to face him. "Why are they here? Should be in prison like the rest of them, or better yet dead!" He sneered.

Harry suppressed a sigh. Why, by Merlin's saggy underpants, did the git have to fail his N.E,W.T.s and torment them with his blustering presence yet another year?

One of the first-year girls who sat next to the older boy looked upset and nervous and tried to shuffle away from him as far as possible.

"Hey, Jessica isn't it?" Harry asked gently.

The young girl jumped and nodded, overwhelmed that Harry Potter was talking to her.

"Why don't you come and join us? Poor Hermione is outnumbered down here," he offered kindly.

Jessica looked timidly at Cormac who snorted. That did it. The young girl swiftly jumped up and joined them.

Harry sent a firm glare down to his fellow Gryffindor. However, the offending git looked unrepentant.

"Thank you," Jessica said quietly.

"That's ok. Tell me, how are you finding your first day here? Our esteemed housemate not included, of course." He gave her a lopsided smile.

The young girl blushed and pushed the food around on her plate.

"Erm, it's nice. I met a few people on the train, some of them have gone into other houses. My friend Beth is in Slytherin, is it true they are all horrible?" Deep lines of worry appeared on her innocent face.

Ron gave her a reassuring smile.

"Of course not, only a few of them were, and it ruined the reputation for the rest."

Harry and Hermione exchanged a look of shock before looking back to their red-haired friend.

"What?" he mumbled with a mouth full of food.

Harry and Jess laughed, and Hermione rolled her eyes.

"Wow, I didn't expect that from you, Ron. Good for you." Harry gave his best friend a warm smile.

"Even I can grow up, you know," Ron said and stuffed another bite of food in his mouth.

That earned him another round of laughter.

"So, Jess, where does Beth sit at the moment? Shouldn't you give her a wave to let her know everything is alright?" Hermione asked.

The young girl turned and scanned the Slytherin table, which was very quiet compared to the other tables. Draco, Theo, Crabbe, Goyle, Pansy and Milly were all absent, either arrested, dead, or on the run.

"There she is, she's next to the blonde girl," Jess said and waved to someone.

Harry took this moment to turn and have a look for himself. A small dark-haired girl waved back to Jess. His eyes then flicked to the blonde witch beside her.

Daphne Greengrass.

She looked as great as ever this year. Warmth crept into Harry's cheeks. Well, she always looked good, but with her in Slytherin and he in Gryffindor, he'd never allowed himself to think of her as a beautiful girl, he didn't fancy being hexed into next week, and he'd had enough on his plate already, with Voldemort and his Horcruxes. He must have been staring a while, because the brown-haired girl beside her, Tracey Davis, if he remembered correctly, caught his eye and leaned into Daphne's ear. The next moment Daphne's blue eyes locked with his across the hall. A light blush graced her face and she looked away. An amused smirk crossed Tracey Davis' face, and she broke out into giggles.

Hermione leaned towards him.

"See something you like Harry?" Her eyes danced with barely suppressed laughter. What by Merlin's hairy balls had got into her today?

"Wha – No, I have no idea what you are on about!" he answered, far too quickly, and he winced. Had she noticed something? Hermione always was much too observant for his comfort..

"Nah, just punching a bit there, aren't you, mate?" Ron said.

That got him a slap from Hermione. "Ronald! That was a horrid thing to say! Harry, you're not punching." She gave him a sly smirk. "In fact, you're looking quite dashing recently, the lack of glasses brings out your eyes, and well, it doesn't hurt that you're in great shape, too."

The blood rushed into Harry's face in one hot wave. What the hell was up with her today?

"I'm right here you know!" Ron sounded affronted.

"Well, don't be so mean then!" Hermione snapped back.

"I wasn't!"

"You were!"

"You were, kind of, Ron" Neville, who sat beside them and had been listening to their conversation with an amused grin on his face, muttered.

"Ah, and normalcy returns!" Harry chuckled, and Jessica giggled along with him.

This year might be fun after all, Harry thought, and stole another look at the Slytherin table. Daphne and Tracey had their heads stuck together in a whispered conversation, a blush still evident on Daphne's face. What might they be talking about? He smiled and turned back to his bickering friends.

At the Slytherin table, one Tracey Davis elbowed her best friend. "Oh, Potter is looking over, Daph!"

Her excited whisper caused her pretty friend to glance over to the Gryffindor table.

The most talked about boy - no, man - in the country looked straight at Daphne. Daphne blushed to the roots of her blonde hair and swiftly averted her eyes.

"He isn't looking at me! He's looking at you!" Daphne muttered, yet, if anything, her face was getting more and more crimson.

Tracey sighed. Daphne had the body and looks most girls would kill for, and all the boys lusted after her, more or less discreetly. It hadn't been that bad he first two years of school, afterall, boys their age weren't interested in girls much at that point, and the older years thought them far too young. That had changed by third year. Daphne, however, had rejected all advances. Her best friend had developed a massive crush on Harry Potter during that year. She was a very old-school kind of girl, so she refused to take on the attention of other boys until she had got over Potter. Alas, she also was an incredible shy girl and had never dared to act on her crush. Tracey heaved another sigh. Four years on, …. and she had still not moved on.

"Daph, I tell you, he's looking at you. There, he's doing it again!"

"Why would he do that?" Daphne cast a Privacy Charm, an old habit they had picked up during the last few years. It would've been bad for them both if their housemates had found out Daphne had a thing for Harry. "He's never noticed me before, so why should he now?"

"Well, the war is over. Maybe as head boy he is leading the charge to get all the houses mingling again? Or …, wait, I'll give you yet another reason." Tracey paused for the effect and shot Daphne a saucy grin. "Maybe he has just seen how damn sexy you are, Daphne Greengrass!"

Daphne's face lit up, however, the next moment an expression of deep dejection took over.

"He's with Ginny Wesley, though" Her voice sounded sad.

Tracey gave an inward sigh. It was about time to change Daphne's attitude. Either she made a move on Potter, or went on with her life. Tracey gave her best friend a devious smirk.

"Not anymore …." She turned to her food again and shook with inside laughter as Daphne's eyes went wide and stared at her. The blonde's usually so stoic face was one big question mark.

"How do you know? When did this happen?" Daphne almost stumbled over the words, and Tracey lost her battle against her laughter. It spoke volumes for Daphne's eagerness to get answers that she wasn't offended at all.

"Well, do you remember last year?" Tracey asked as soon as she had recovered.

Daphne nodded. "Who doesn't?"

"I don't mean all that bullshit with the Carrows, I'm talking about the Weaselette and her actions. Well, dear heartbroken Ginny took comfort with Michael Corner." Tracey emphasised her words by raising her hands, making a rude gesture with her thumb and finger curled into a circle, before sliding a finger from her other hand through said circle.

Daphne gasped. 'She didn't! She still was supposed to be with Harry then."

"You're wrong, and yet you aren't. I've heard that Harry hadn't slept with her yet and broke it off before going on his little mission last year, to take the heat off her. You bet he expected to get back together with her after the war and live happily ever after. I also have it from trusted sources that the Weaselette didn't take his noble gesture kindly, so I doubt that little shag, … or shagging, was purely out of comfort. Think she was doing it to get back at him."

Daphne made a face. "That's appalling."

Tracey gave her a saucy wink. "Potter is still supposed to be a virgin, and single." Daphne blushed bright red, and Tracey bumped shoulders with her. "This year is your chance, we've not got Malfoy, Nott, and that lot to get in the way. Plus, he is looking FIT! Those eyes, oh, I wouldn't mind running into him just after curfew." She cast a feral grin at Potter, well aware of the worried look from Daphne. Good, maybe that would get her much too reticent friend to consider her attitude and make a move on Potter. She was sick of all the moaning and wistful looks. Alas, no such luck.

"Well, he might be single, but that doesn't change a thing. Why would he look at me? I mean, there's you, Bones, and even Abbot. She's head girl, so she's going to get to spend a ton of time with him. Tell me, how can I stand a shot?" Daphne's voice was quiet and dejected, and she slumped her shoulders.

Really, her best friend was taking her modesty and her insecurity about her looks too far. Tracey sat upright and gave Daphne a stern glance.

"Daph, you are hot! Gods, if you were a little freer you would've had every boy in our year with only so much as a beck of your pinky finger. I'd kill for an arse like yours, tight and firm, and that waist, and don't get me started on those lovely pair of –"

"TRACEY!" The heat coming from Daphne was almost palpable, her face was so red.

"All I'm saying is, you're hot, and to top it off you have the brains. Don't worry, I reckon you will get your man by the end of the term," Tracey said in a sing-song voice.

Instead of a response, Daphne gave her the iciest look out of her admittedly huge repertoire of cold stares.

Tracey sniggered to herself as she turned back to her meal. Oh, she had got to her friend, Daphne couldn't fool her one bit, no matter how hard she tried. That special look was reserved for when Daphne was out of her depth. Good for her! The new school year was promising to become interesting.

…

Harry was walking back from the headmistress's office after the end of the first week of lessons, deep in thought as he went over their talk. Apparently, there had been several students from all houses coming forward and reporting acts of extreme bullying to students in Slytherin. No one seemed willing to report who had committed the bullying, just that it was happening, fearful of being targeted themselves. The only reason that two students had been expelled was that they were caught in the act by teachers. Even worse, one of the students was from Gryffindor, and the gits had refused to co-operate on helping with the investigation. Instead, they had claimed the Slytherins had it coming for all they had done to the rest of the school last year.

Couldn't the idiots distinguish between the members of Slytherin who had willingly partaken in the terror the Carrows had lashed upon the school and those who had also been victims? One of the first things Minister for Magic Shacklebolt had done was appointing an independent committee that investigated the on goings at Hogwarts during the war. To the big surprise of the wizarding world they had come up with irrefutable evidence that the Carrows had been aided by only a very small portion of the student body, all of them children of prominent Death Eaters, like Malfoy, Nott, Crabbe, Goyle, Parkinson, and Bulstrode. Their housemates, however, had been submitted to an even harsher treatment than any Gryffindor, as a punishment for the refusal of their parents to join Voldemort's ranks.

Harry heaved a frustrated sigh, just four months ago people had fought and died to bring peace to the wizarding world, and yet there were still some holding grudges because of houses.

He'd reached the DADA classroom over his musings, knocked and entered.

"Ah, Mr Potter, nice of you to join us." Professor Western, a tall, dark-haired man with a cropped beard, said with a small smile.

"Apologises, professor, I needed to meet with the headmistress this morning," Harry replied.

"Its fine, I'm hardly going to give the Saviour of the Wizarding World detention for discharging his duties as head boy." Professor Western chuckled and pointed to a free seat behind Hermione . "Please, partner up with Mr Longbottom today, we were at an odd number without you."

Harry nodded and took his seat next to Neville, who smiled at him in greeting.

Hermione turned around. "What did Headmistress McGonagall want from you? Nothing bad I hope?" she whispered.

"Slytherin's are being attacked between lessons, couple of nasty injuries that Madam Pomfrey is dealing with. Only issue is, no one is willing to say who is doing them, they are scared," Harry replied as he turned to the page they were reviewing. The first half of the lesson was theory based, so he had a little time to catch up with today's lecture before the practical portion started.

"Good to see that people are moving on," Ron muttered, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "You know, I don't know why they even have this house system, all it causes is aggression, half the shit that went on in the last couple of years could've been avoided if we weren't all divided. Maybe then Fred would still be here." His voice caught at the last part, and Hermione put a comforting hand on his shoulder and gave him a sad smile.

Harry raised an inward eyebrow, would Ron's new-found maturity ever cease to amaze him? However, he wouldn't complain about the one-eighty his best friend had made, the new Ron was so much easier to live with. He'd also made a very astute observation: the house system had caused more grief than good, it had divided the school at the time it needed to be united, and it still wreaked havoc on the student body, now that the danger was over and the biggest miscreants had been removed from school.

"What do you plan to do, Harry?" Neville asked.

"Right now I'm not sure, the teachers are naturally going to keep an eye out, but we need to get people talking. McGonagall is taking no prisoners; two students were caught right in the act and expelled this morning. She was beyond furious. "

His friends gave thoughtful nods. The four worked quietly until the professor called for the tables to be moved clear so that the practical element of the lesson could begin. They were studying the Shield Charm, and today's lesson was about how to increase the power behind the shield and hold one for a longer period.

"Mr Potter, do you mind coming to the front, please?"

Harry nodded and walked to the front, of course he had to be called to demonstrate the spell, these days he just couldn't escape the attention, and it didn't look like that would ever change.

"Right students, I hate to revisit the past, however, one of the main reasons for the loss of life in the first and second wizarding wars was the lack of defensive magics -."

"It's a trifle difficult to block the killing curse, sir," Ron said, and the whole class echoed his opinion with affirmative nods and murmurs.

"You are quite right, Mr Weasley, in fact, it's impossible. However, there is a reason that curse is not used often by Death Eaters, can anyone tell me why?" Professor Western asked the classroom, which was silent. He turned to Harry. "Mr Potter, I believe you know the answer."

Harry suppressed a sigh; indeed, there seemed to be no way he would ever escape the attention.

"Magic is intent based, Voldemort used this to great effect because of two things: for one the man was very powerful, and secondly and most importantly, he had no empathy, he had no trouble killing those he thought beneath him, which was everyone."

Professor Western nodded to that. 'Exactly, five points to Gryffindor."

Harry gritted his teeth. With his critical thoughts on the house system the reward didn't sit well with him.

"The Death Eaters also thought themselves above everyone," Neville said. 'So, why didn't it work for them like it did for V-voldemort?"

"Quite right, Mr Longbottom," Professor Western said. "Not all Death Eaters were gifted wizards, it requires a lot of power to cast the killing curse successfully. Then there is the issue of intent. Simply put, a Death Eater or follower had no reason to want to kill a nameless student, so the Killing Curse would be effectively useless, hence why they used other offensive spells, blockable spells. There is a reason why the Killing Curse is forbidden: its sole purpose is to end a life, no more, no less. You have to want to kill that person for it to work. For example, if I were to cast the Killing Curse on Mr Potter right now, it might just tickle him, because I have no intent to kill him."

Harry was impressed, bar Lupin Professor Western seemed to know his field brilliantly.

The professor went on with his lecture. "You can block any other spell, so to have a solid Shield Charm will stand you in good stead. I'm now going to cast a few Stunners at Mr Potter here with increased strength each time. Mr Potter, I want you to see if you can block them all, understood?"

"Yes Professor" Harry replied and raised his wand. Ron and Hermione gave him the thumbs up, while Neville look pale.

He caught a pair of blue eyes across the room. Daphne Greengrass watched him with an intensity that made his cheeks grow warm. He'd better concentrate, or he was going to look like a tit in front of Hogwarts' most beautiful student. Way to go to catch her interest!

In a flash, Professor Western let loose a stream of Stunners, and Harry got up his shield just in time. The spells slammed into his shield like sledge hammers, and it flickered under the impact. Harry focused his magic into the clear, shimmering bubble before him. The spells were getting stronger with each barrage, and just when he thought he couldn't hold it for much longer the barrage ceased.

"Well done, Mr Potter, that was very impressive, indeed," Professor Western said with a smile, and wiped a trickle of sweat running down his forehead with his handkerchief.

Ron and Hermione gave Harry a knowing smile, they knew what Harry was capable of, given all that they fought through together.

His eyes searched for a pair of blue orbs as he walked back to his seat. They looked back at him with something akin to a mix of pride and admiration, and something warm welled up in him.

The rest of the lesson was quite enjoyable for Harry as he and Neville took turns, with the Longbottom heir showing great resolve and improvement since Harry had first met him.

On their way from the DADA classroom Harry stopped in his tracks and slapped the flat palm of his hand against his forehead.

"Harry?" Ron asked.

"You go on without me, I forgot my bag, great start to the year, eh!" Harry chuckled and ran back to the classroom. He was just about to re-enter the classroom when he collided with someone coming out of the door. Caught off balance, Harry tumbled backwards, landed on his behind, and narrowly avoided hitting his head on the stone floor. Something that seemed like a freight train go off the rails tumbled on top of him.

"Oooff!" The air left his lungs in a big rush.

"I'm so, so, so sorry, oh Merlin I'm sorry!" A frantic feminine voice reached his ears. He concentrated on the voice and blinked the stars in front of his eyes away.

A madly blushing Daphne Greengrass scrambled off from top of him. Her eyes averted, she grabbed for the books that had spilled out of her bag when it had fallen to the ground and opened as they collided.

"I should've looked where I was going, I am so sorry." The books slipped out of her shaky grasp and clattered to the ground once again.

"Hey, its fine, Daphne, its ok" He chuckled, helped her to collect her things, brushed himself off and stood up. Since he was a gentleman, he offered out his hand to help her up.

She didn't look up at him, her face still crimson, but studied his hand instead, then took it and allowed him to pull her up.

"It's no bother, honestly, no harm done." He smiled. Why did his stomach make little flip flops all of a sudden?

"You know me?" She stammered and held her books close to her chest.

"Of course, we've only been in the same year for the last seven years. I think we worked together in Charms once or twice, remember?" Damn, he didn't recall her being this beautiful, bloody hell, he needed to keep his cool.

"Oh yes, I do remember, I just … didn't think you would, that's all." A little smile played around her lips that did even funnier things to his stomach.

"Why would you say that?"

Again she blushed, how sweet.

"Well, I'm me and you are you." Her eyes widened. "That came out wrong. Not that I think you're better than everyone else, it's just that you're quite well known and I'm not, well, at least not outside of my house." Again, her cheeks turned a deep shade of red. Who would have thought that the always composed Miss Greengrass could get that flustered? She'd been dubbed "The Ice Queen" by Seamus Finnegan for her almost inhuman composure. Well, today showed how little he knew of her. Maybe he should shove her off track more often.

"Yeah I guess, but I do remember you, I did enjoy working with you back then –"

"Really?" Her quick reply sounded quite surprised.

His cheeks grew warm, he hadn't expected her to jump on that nugget of information right away.

"Yes, I thought you were really nice, you didn't say much, but given the house rivalries at that time I was expecting you to be cold or rude."

"Oh well, I never really put much stock in house politics, but the boys, well..." She paused for a moment. "Well, you know some of them were children of Death Eaters, so to avoid drawing attention we just kept to ourselves."

A pang jolted through Harry, and his stomach squirmed. True, he'd been fighting for his life for most of his school life, but he was also guilty of viewing all Slytherin as cold or dark. The guilt gnawed away at him, now he knew why most appeared that way.

"I'm sorry, we didn't know." Gods, what a weak excuse.

"It's quite alright, you had your hands full." She gave him a sweet smile, her blue eyes flicked up to his own for a much too short moment, then darted away again, and her cheeks pinked.

"How are you finding being back?" he asked. He had to get going before he was late for Charms, but he couldn't care less.

"It's, er –"

"There you are! Come on, we're going to be late … Potter?" The voice of Tracey Davis, caused both Harry and Daphne to jump.

The brunette girl walked over to them. "Am I interrupting something? This looks cosy." The smirk on her face caused Daphne to go bright red again.

"No, Daphne and I knocked each other over, I was just making sure she was alright," Harry said.

Daphne just nodded, behind his back her eyes pleaded with Tracey to not make a big deal of it.

"Really?" Tracey's eyebrows went up, and her smirk became even more pronounced. "So, er, would you help me up if I just so happened to … fall on you too?" Tracey winked and ignored Daphne's impression of a fish on dry land at her sentence.

Harry chuckled. "Of course I will, I'm supposed to be a gentleman, after all."

"Well, I look forward to having a fumble ... I mean tumble, come on Daphne we will be late otherwise!" With a wink at Harry she pulled a crimson-flushed Daphne along with her.

Harry stood still, trying to digest his first non confrontational meeting with Slytherins.

He watched their retreating backs, they had their heads stuck together and whispered heatedly with each other. He turned to head to Charms when the crumple of paper under his shoe caused him to look down at a piece of stray parchment. He reached down to collect it and was about to call down the hallway to the two girls when he caught the word 'whore' on the parchment.

Now, that was strange. His eyes lingered on the parchment. 'To the Greengrass whore' was written across it. Was it his place to read a letter sent to Daphne? What if it was just a smut note from her boyfriend? A girl as pretty as Daphne surely wasn't single. Given the bullying going on, however, it was up to him as head boy to do anything to put an end to that. What if this was a bullying letter?

He unfurled the parchment. The first words made clear the letter wasn't from a loving boyfriend with a questionable sexual taste.

_Dear Snake-scum ,_

_I do hope this letter finds you well, along with all your other filth. Don't get your hopes up, each letter is personalised to the recipient in this morning's post, so this is directly for you, and you alone._

_You were stupid to come back here, you filthy little Slytherin whore. Well, technically you aren't a whore. Word around the school is you're too stuck up to drop your knickers. Don't worry about your virginity, pet, that will change soon. My associates and I will have you nice a willing by the end of the year, and by then you'd have earned to be called a whore, we'll make sure of that. _

_Should've gone on the run or been wiped out in the raids._

_You'll be seeing us soon._

_I hope you dress up nice. I'm partial to black lace bras with just a hint of red._

Red-hot heat shot through Harry, he gritted his teeth and crumbled the parchment in his hand to a tight ball. How dare this sick bastard? His eyes fell on the parchment in his hand, his wand was out in an instant, and the incantation of the Burning Charm on the tip of his tongue.

He hesitated; the tip of his wand trembled above the parchment. This was too big to burn; the bastard wrote in his letter that a whole group of Slytherin students got missives like this. His stomach almost turned at the thought of some poor first or second year reading something like this. This was beyond mere bullying, Headmistress McGonagall had to know about this.

As he concentrated to summon his Patronus his thoughts turned to Daphne. She hadn't let on how the anonymous threatening letter had affected her, but she had to be terrified. Even Hermione would freak out at receiving such a letter. He'd approach Daphne later, first he had to send messages to Professor Flitwick and the headmistress to state his reason for absence from Charms.

…

"So, you and Potter just stumbled into each other, eh?" Tracey laughed and wiggled her eyebrows as they made their way to Charms. "Was that engineered on your part?" She gave Daphne a sly smile.

"What?! Merlin no! Curb your lower instincts, please. I just needed to talk to Professor Western, and when I came out of the classroom I walked into Harry, and we fell. l-"

"We fell?" Tracey's eyebrows went up, almost beyond her fringe, and her eyes danced with laughter. Daphne's face heated up again, and Tracey let out a howl of laughter. "Who was on top?" She winked.

Daphne startled. "Tracey! Honestly!" she said with a huff.

Tracey just kept looking at her _that way. _

She huffed once more. "Alright, you win. I fell on top of him, I kept apologising like a mad woman, he must think I'm a complete joke!" She ran five fingers through her long hair, a gesture she only permitted herself when she was at the end of her rope. As if that damned letter this morning wasn't already enough to make her freak out. No, to make a horrible day even worse, she had to embarrass herself in front of the only man she ever cared about and ruin her chances with him forever.

"What was his body like? Did you manage to get a feel? Did he get embarrassed?" Tracey fired off her questions into her morose thoughts.

"I didn't notice."

Of course, Tracey didn't buy this.

"Daph, pleaseee, for the first time at this school we are free of Malfoy and his goons, and gods, I just want to be normal and gossip about blokes! Tell me!"

Daphne sighed, Tracey had a point with wanting to be normal, it would also be a welcomed distraction from this horrible letter. She closed her eyes and revelled in the moment she crashed into Harry outside the classroom and they both ended up sprawled on the floor. Even with his robes on she had felt how solid his muscles had been underneath those clothes … How might be like to slip her hands under his shirt and…

Another heat wave shot into her face.

"He was, er…." Get a grip on yourself, Daphne, for Circe's sakes! "Hard." The next moment her eyes went wide at Tracey's giggles.

"Oh my god, so you did cop a feel! You little minx!" Tracey squealed.

The implications of her words sank in. Hogwarts was an ancient castle full of magic, surely it was possible to sink right into the floor?

"I mean firm, I meant his body felt firm, I didn't feel him there, it was all above the waist!"

Too late, Tracey was howling with laughter.

"Did you like it? Even if it was just a little bit?"

Daphne rolled her eyes. What a silly question, what witch wouldn't want to be pressed against Harry?

"Maybe a little." She smiled.

"Oh, I like it! So when are you going to turn on the charm?" Tracey almost jumped with excitement.

"What? Tracey, we spoke about this, you need to let this go. Nothing is going to happen." Considering what a fool she'd made of herself, she'd be lucky if Harry ever gave her the time of the day again.

"You still like him, right?" Tracey was worse than a Jack Russel terrier, she never let go.

"You know I do! A lot, but he isn't going to look twice at me!"

"Er, did you see the way he was looking at you?" Tracey rolled her eyes. That smile on Harry's face when he talked to her best friend... Didn't Daphne know how lucky she was? Potter was hot, and she wouldn't mind dragging him into a broom closet and letting her slip his hands …. Not the time, Tracey!

"No?" Daphne replied, cheeks pink and a spark of hope in her voice.

"Oh yeah, proper boyish grin on his face, and he was focusing on your eyes and not just your body," Tracey said. It was about time her friend would develop some courage when it came to Harry. "If you don't take a leap, someone else will, hell, I might even!"

"You wouldn't!" Daphne almost hissed, a hurt expression crossing her face. Good!

"I'm joking, Daph, even if I did fancy the boy … man, I mean, I wouldn't do anything because it would come between us. Plus, Daphne Potter sounds better than Tracey Potter " It was a half truth at best, she did have a little fancy for Harry, hell, most witches did, but she would not lose her friendship with Daphne over it. Daphne seemed to visibly relax at that. "You do know that others will make a play for him, right? But you have an advantage they don't!"

"Which is?"

"I wasn't lying yesterday, you are likely the most beautiful girl in the school, and Harry has stolen a couple of glances at you, last night and today during Defence."

The shy smile returned to her friend's face. "He was mighty impressive in there, wasn't he?" Daphne smile became dreamy as she held her books to her chest.

"I'll need to sit with my legs crossed in Charms and work on that Drying Charm after that display." Tracey smirked.

"Why would you – Oh Tracey! Do you have to be so crass?!"

Tracey's delighted cackle echoed through the hallway as the friends continued their way to the Charms classroom.

…

This will be a four-part story, chapter two is nearly finished it just needs tweaking and reviewing. Once again my thanks to my wonderful Beta who gave me a lot of insight an ideas.


	2. Chapter 2

**A Simple Act**

_Once again thank you to Doreatha for their help with the below._

_Chapter Two – An Ambush_

Sometimes it is but a simple act of kindness that can change worlds.

The lessons for the rest of the day passed with little fanfare, apart from the moment a glowing silver stag erupted into the classroom and had a conversation with Professor Flitwick.

Weasley and Granger had exchanged a knowing smile, as though they knew who had cast that Patronus.

Even more important to Daphne: why was Harry absent from Charms and then Herbology? Granger and Weasley also seemed to worry about that. Granger had cast a Privacy Ward around them in Herbology, and they had a lively discussion, while their eyes as good as never left the entrance door to the greenhouse.

Neither did Daphne's, albeit she prided herself of being more discreet than Harry's friends. She had to, or Tracey would never let hear her the end of it.

Her mind still considered the mystery of Harry's prolonged absence when she and Tracey did their prefect patrols that evening. Per tradition the patrol teams consisted of one boy and girl from each year and house. The war had messed up that tradition for Slytherin: Tracey and she were the last remaining students of their year in their house. Crabbe was dead, Malfoy, Nott and Goyle were in prison, and Pansy and Milly were on the run with their families. Zabini had the good common sense to leave the country after Dumbledore's death and never returned for their seventh year.

"Pretty quiet tonight," Tracey muttered.

"Let's hope it stays that way," Daphne replied. Her eyes scanned the deep shadows in the dark stretches between the flickering torches, and her right hand was in the pocket where she kept her wand.

'_You'll be seeing us soon.'_

The words of the vile letter she'd received that morning had come back to haunt her during the day whenever she didn't keep a tight leash on her thoughts. The threats worried her more than she cared to admit. Should she tell someone? But whom? Their head of house was out of question, Professor Slughorn still was too concerned for his own comfort to be bothered with the petty squabbles among the students. Should she approach the headmistress? No, that also was a bad idea, she wouldn't be able to trace the letter back to its sender, anyway. Even worse, what would happen to her if word got out that she had blabbed? Things like that always had a way to come into the open, and the student body was merciless in dealing with tattle-tales.

For the same reason she couldn't talk to Tracey. Her best friend would move heaven and earth to find whoever was behind that letter, alas, subtlety wasn't Tracey's strong point, even though she was a Slytherin. She could as well put the letter on the blackboards of all the houses.

No, talking to Tracey also was no option. At least her cheerful chatter and her obsession with her love life took her thoughts from that vile piece of dragon manure.

_Word around the school is you're too stuck up to drop your knickers._

That stung. How pathetic was she to let the words of that bastard get at her? Yet it stung to be called 'stuck up' for not sleeping around like a lot of girls at school were, if the rumour mill was correct. Neither was she a high-strung Pureblood bitch whose parents strived to sell her virginity to the highest bidder.

For Purebloods, her parents were rather progressive. _'There'll never be a marriage contract for my girls,' _father had told her and Astoria too many times to count. _'I don't care if you're pure on your wedding day, either, as long as you sleep with a boy for the right reasons.'_

The right reasons. That would be a love and affection as deep as her parents shared. They had been Hogwarts sweethearts since her father's fifth and her mother's fourth year, and had married not even four weeks after her mother had finished school. Although married for a little over twenty years, they still behaved like veritable lovebirds. She and Astoria both had stumbled upon them hugging and kissing an embarrassing number of times, and she'd rather not think of what happened between them as soon as the door of their bedroom was closed. At least the room was covered with some excellent Silencing Charms.

A smile curved around Daphne's lips. Mother and father might be embarrassing, but that was much better than the icy politeness that characterised the marriages of the parents of most of her housemates, and in more than one case was a pathetic cover-up for the loathing the spouses felt for each other.

Maybe their example was the reason why she'd never made the effort to get over Harry. She'd developed a crush on him during their third year. He'd looked so sick and utterly terrified after the Dementors appeared on the train, and his limp form when he fell off his broom still haunted her nightmares. Her crush had deepened during their fourth year, when he'd been dragged into that deadly tournament. She'd never forget the mix of horror and grief on his face when he returned with Diggory's dead body by his side. She'd jumped up from her seat and fought her way down through the tiers of staring students to be close to him and comfort him, only to find the fake Professor Moody had already whisked him away.

That moment she knew she loved him, and she'd done nothing to fight that feeling ever since.

Unfortunately, the object of her affection had no idea. Until today she'd had no idea he knew that she existed, afterall, she wasn't the kind of girl he seemed to like. While her mirror told her she wasn't bad looking, she wasn't as striking as Chang or Weasley, or as outgoing. If only -

"Stupefy!"

She whirled around, just in time to see something red coming at them. Heat flushed through her body, and she ground her teeth. How could she've been so dumb to lose herself in her thoughts in the dark hallways with much too many nooks and alcoves that just screamed for an ambush? After that letter this morning she should have known this would happen. Hadn't she learned anything last year?

Tracey whirled around a split-second after her, the spell hit her in the chest and knocked her to the floor.

"Tracey!" She gasped. However, now was not the time to take care of her friend. Her wand was out in an instant and a shield sprang into existence. It was not as strong as the shield Harry had cast in Defence that morning, but it would be enough to protect Tracey and her from another Stunner - she hoped.

Her eyes scanned the dark hallway. Someone had put out the torches on the stretch they had just passed. A shadow emerged from the darkness.

That McLaggen guy.

She let out a breath of relief. McLaggen was manageable in a one-on-one combat. After all, he had failed his N.E.W.T.s, while she was no slouch, and at the upper end of the power-scale.

More movement in the shadows. One, two, four… six silhouettes lined up behind McLaggen in a half-circle.

Her stomach balled into an icy knot. Fuck! She'd never be able to fight all of them.

She hardened her face and raised her wand. She might not be able to fight all of them, but she wouldn't go down without a fight, either. Her eyes scanned the faces. Three more boys and three girls. The faces seemed familiar, although she couldn't put names to them.

"What are you doing!" Her voice was bolder than she felt. Good. Albeit she was outnumbered, her pride refused to let them know how terrified she was.

She looked once more at the faces of her assailants. Wasn't that that Smith bloke, the first student to run out of the Great Hall when McGonagall ordered the evacuation of those who didn't want to fight? That fit, didn't it? What a pathetic coward! The one beside him was his housemate, Wade or Wayne something, she'd never paid him any heed. The other four were from younger years, another Hufflepuff, two Ravens and one Gryff.

"Tsk, tsk, is that a way to greet your lover?"

McLaggen's taunting voice made her stomach turn and the hairs on her back stand up.

"Come on, folks, let's give that slimy snake a taste of what war heroes can do!"

From then on, everything seemed to happen in slow motion.

McLaggen flicked his wand, the telltale red of a Stunner raced towards her, shattered her shield into nothingness, and dissipated.

She stumbled backwards. Who would've thought that pathetic excuse of a wizard was able to cast such a strong spell, and silently on top of it? She was still struggling to get back her footing when a Tripping Jinx helped her on her way down. The next second her wand flew out of her hand.

"You won't be needing that wand." One of the girls sneered at her.

McLaggen stepped closer. Daphne looked up at him. There was a look of triumph on his face, he knew she was at his mercy, and he relished every second.

"Now, who is going to have fun with you first? Wonder if daddy will be able to get you a marriage contract once you're not sure pure anymore? I know purebloods are funny about that sort of thing." He sneered down at her.

Ice spread through her body, almost paralysing her. This couldn't be real, this had to be some cruel joke, right? Hogwarts students just didn't roam the halls, out to rape their schoolmates.

The harsh reality caught up with her when McLaggen bent down, gripped the collar of her robes with both hands, and ripped them open. "How nice!" His greedy eyes roamed her body, only clad in tight fitting leggings, and a lace chemise under the thick, woolen robes.

The girls snickered, and Zacharias Smith approached Tracey's unconscious body, knelt down and ripped her robe off. The next moment he fumbled with the belt of his trousers. The paralysation vanished.

"Get away from her!" Daphne shrieked and scrambled to her feet.

A weak Banishing Spell hit her midriff, yet it was still strong enough to send her flying into a suit of armour, and she went down to the floor in a tangled mass of rusty metal and human limbs. Her leg got caught in an impossible angle between the ground and the suit of armour, and a searing pain shot through her body.

She didn't heed, her eyes never left Tracey's still form and the boy who pulled out his wand and vanished the clothes on her lower body.

"Leave her alone!" Again, she struggled to get to her feet, but crumpled when her leg wouldn't support her weight. Tears of pain sprang to her eyes, and she cursed herself for her helplessness.

"See that, Smith, she wants a go first. Naughty little princess, eh?" McLaggen's taunting voice broke into her horror. The girls in the group giggled and pointed their fingers at Tracey, they seemed to find what was about to happen to her rather funny.

Daphne's stomach turned yet another time. How could they stand by and even laugh about one of their schoolmates, no, a fellow female, about to be raped? What kind of monsters were these girls?

She'd forgotten McLaggen in her incredulous horror about the girls. However, he hadn't forgotten her. "So, my slimy little snake, what's it to be, on your back or your knees?"

He crouched down and pointed his wand at her leggins. "Evan-"

A hot wave seared through Daphne, she saw his sneering face like through a tunnel, flecked with red spots. Oh no, he wouldn't get at her, not without a fight! She drew up the knee of her good leg and kicked as hard as she could.

She didn't get the sensitive part of his body quite right, but she got him good enough to send him flying backwards. The dull noise of the back of his head hitting the stone floor was the sweetest sound she had ever heard. Morgana give he'd cracked his skull and spilled his useless brain out in the hallway!

He was back on his legs in an instant.

Yet again, liquid ice flowed through her veins at the fury in his eyes. She recoiled.

"You bitch! I'm not even going to be gentle with you after that!" He yanked her at her arms and pushed her onto her stomach, well out of reach of her kicking leg. "Learn your plac-"

"DEPULSO!"

McLaggen cried out, the weight on her lifted, followed by an almighty crash. She looked up just as a Stunning Spell hit Zacharias Smith right in the groin. His stupid face morphed into a grimace of unbearable pain, his eyes rolled back into his head, and his limp form crumpled to the ground. Her eyes searched for the remaining five assailants.

They stood deathly still, their eyes wide in fear. Now, what had caused that? Not that it was unwelcomed -.

"Anyone else?" The familiar voice burned with unbridled fury.

Daphne turned her head to the source of the voice, her body became limp with a sudden wave of relief, and a sob escaped her mouth.

Harry Potter had his wand pointed at the five remaining students. They squirmed under his scorching eyes, yet they still didn't make a move to run away, let alone attack. By his side, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger stood in a similar stance.

She put a fist in front of her mouth and bit on the knuckles to prevent herself from breaking out into hysterical sobs. They were not yet out of danger, it was still five on three; McLaggen had crumpled next to her, probably under the impact of the Blasting Hex Harry had thrown at him.

"Ron, Hermione please bind these scumbags and bring Tracey around, will you." Harry's voice became soft when he talked to his friends, albeit his heated gaze never left the five students. "Your wands. Now!"

He didn't need to ask twice, his cold voice was enough to make the arseholes surrender their wands, the girls even whimpered in fear.

A triumphant grin fought its way on Daphne's face. That served those pathetic bitches right!

Weasley was no slouch, either. His wand trained on McLaggen, who lay to her left and stirred slightly, he sent a silent Stunner at her attacker, conjured thick ropes around him, then levitated him away from her and dumped him onto the hard stone floor from a considerable height a few yards down the hallway. He repeated the procedure on Smith.

Ouch, that had to leave a couple of painful bruises on their bodies. It couldn't happen to more deserving bastards.

Once again she tried to get to her feet, in vain, her leg gave out below her. She groaned and leaned back against the wall. Her heartbeat slowed down somewhat, and what nearly just had happened caught up with her. She gasped. Tracey! How could she forget about her best friend?

Daphne jerked her head around, towards the limp form of her friend.

Hermione crouched in front of Tracey and waved her wand across her body with a silent incantation. The spell had no visible effect, and Hermione sank back on her haunches and let out a deep breath, while an expression of utter relief flickered across her face. She took a second to regain her composure, then flicked her wand once more.

Tracey's robes wrapped around the still unconscious girl, repairing themselves, and covered her nakedness.

Hermione gave a satisfied nod and pointed her wand at Tracey's chest. "Enervate!"

Tracey's eyes fluttered open. She stared at Hermione for a long moment, as if trying to get her bearings. "What happened?" she whispered.

Hermione took another deep breath. "Well, that's a rather ugly story -"

Daphne averted her eyes. It had been horrible enough to see her best friend almost being raped, she really didn't want to hear it all over again, not before she'd come to grips with what had happened to herself. Her chest tightened. Ugh, what a horrible friend she was, only thinking of herself -

"Daphne?" A soft voice broke into her thoughts, and a gentle hand touched her shoulder. She jumped, every fibre within her body ready to bolt. Her head jerked around, and her anxious eyes met steady green ones.

Harry knelt beside her, his gaze, soft and concerned, calmed her down within the blink of an eye.

"Shh, it's alright, you're ok now, I promise." His soothing voice was like balm on her frayed nerves.

As if he'd opened the floodgates of a dam, she choked out a sob and pulled him towards her. Her head sank against his shoulder, and more sobs shook her body. Harry held her and rocked her gently, while he stroked her hair and murmured to her in a soothing voice.

It seemed like an eternity until the turmoil inside of her died down. She lifted her head up.

"Tracey?" Her voice wasn't her own, hoarse from her crying jag.

"I'm ok Daph, a little sore from the fall, but I'm ok." Tracey's voice, even though a far cry from her usually chipper self, was like music to her ears. A reluctant smile curled her lips. Harry moved out of the way so that she could see Hermione helping Tracey to her feet.

"Gods, Daphne, are you ok?" Tracey's eyes widened in alarm.

Daphne didn't blame her, she had to be a horrible sight: huddled on the floor, her hands clawed into Harry's jumper in a death grip, and her eyes probably red and puffy from tears.

"We got her as Cormac tried to -" Hermione didn't finish the sentence. She bit her lip and looked to the ground. .

A look of horror crossed Tracey's face as she understood the implications of Hermione's words, and the next second she lunged at McLaggen's bound body.

"You bastard!" She screamed at the top of her lungs, delivered a kick to his face and then stomped on his groin. "You sick, twisted bastard!" She managed to get in a few more kicks to the boys' groin before Ron and Hermione stepped in. They could have moved a great deal faster, and especially Ron looked as if he wouldn't mind having a go at McLaggen, too.

"He didn't get to do it, we got here in time Tracey. He won't get away with this, I promise you." Hermione held onto the enraged witches' arms.

"Can the three of you please escort the rest of these foul excuses for human beings to the headmistress's office? Also ensure that Smith and McLaggen are taken into custody. I don't care if you drag them by their toenails," Harry said.

Even though she had calmed down, he still knelt beside Daphne, his arms put around her. A warm feeling welled up in her.

"I'm not leaving Daphne!" Tracey jutted out her chin and crossed her arms in front of her chest.

Harry held up his hand.

"I need you to go and give the headmistress a statement and a memory, Tracey. We don't want these scumbags to get away, do we? You have my word I will escort Daphne to the hospital wing, and I will stay with her until you get back."

Tracey glared at him and didn't move.

Daphne gave a nod and a watery smile to let her know it was alright.

Tracey's rigid posture relaxed. "Ok, I hold you responsible, Potter. Take good care of her." The hard stare she sent to Harry brought the unsaid message across: _or else!_

A faint smile appeared on Harry's lips.

"You have my word," he repeated. He turned and glared at the gathered group of offending students. "If I hear that any of you try anything on your way, I will personally see to you before the headmistress catches up to you, I know your faces now, am I understood?" His voice was low and controlled, but a wave of power rolled off his body.

It made the hairs on Daphne's arms and the nape of her neck stand up, albeit not in an unpleasant way. No, it was somehow familiar, gentle and even slightly arousing.

However, Harry's display of power had quite the opposite effect on their attackers. They recoiled from him, then nodded and allowed Ron and Hermione to lead them away. Tracey brought up the rear, her wand raised.

Once they were out of sight, Harry turned to Daphne who still leaned against him. "Can you walk?"

"N-no, I don't think so, I tried to stand earlier. I think I've broken something, or twisted it at least."

He gave her a lopsided grin.

"Seems I'll have to carry you then. Are you ok to put your arms around my shoulder? It might be somewhat awkward, given what you've just nearly gone through." His face darkened.

Her heart thumped against her chest at the idea of being carried by him. She startled. How could she even be thinking about her crush in the light of what just had happened? Common sense dictated that she ought to stay away as far as possible from any male. His concern for her seemed to be genuine, fair enough, but could she trust his teenage hormones to behave? Yet, this was Harry, over the long years she'd observed him he'd never given any sign to be anything but gentle and caring.

Her brain still waged a silent war with her heart when he removed the remains of her torn robe, tucked them under his arm, placed one arm below her knees and another on her upper back, and lifted her up. She held onto his shoulders to prevent herself from falling.

They didn't talk as he carried her to the hospital wing. It was a long walk, they were almost at the opposite side of the castle. Daphne retreated into her thoughts.

She had nearly been raped, this was not uncommon in the wizarding world in the days of old, many wizards and witches abused magic to their own ends. However, something like that happening at Hogwarts nowadays? Even during the reign of the Carrows such a despicable act was beyond imagination. Magical girls were considered as valuable assets, after all they were expected to bring the next generation of Death Eaters into this world, and a virgin bride was of utmost importance for the lineage of the old families, no matter whether still Pureblood or not.

She let out a deep breath. Thank Morgana - and Harry - McLaggen's attempt had failed, or she would have been snubbed by the majority of the wizarding world on top of the trauma. Yes, McLaggen would've been tried for his crime, but she too would've been looked down on.

The memory of McLaggen tearing up her robes as he pinned her down caused fresh waves of sobs to wrack her body. Her hands clutched Harry's clothing, and she buried her head into his chest. He tensed; had she embarrassed him? She lifted her head and was about to pull it away when he tightened his grip on her.

"Its fine, I've got you. Cry as much as you need, you've been through a lot, and a good cry helps. I can always dry this later," he said with a smile in his voice. She let out a watery laugh and returned her head to his chest.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome."

Was it her imagination or was his heart beating faster as she snuggled against him?

They continued their walk in silence.

"Madam Pomfrey!" Harry called out as they entered the wing.

"Mr Potter? Oh, for goodness sake, what have you done to yourself this time?" The mediwitch hurried out of her office, however, she stopped dead at the sight of Daphne in his arms. One look at Daphne's small, white face was enough to set her into motion again. She pointed to one of the beds within the long room. "Set her over here, what happened?" Her wand slipped into her hand as if it had a life of its own, and she rushed towards Daphne.

"Daphne and Tracey Davis were ambushed by seven students in the corridors. I believe Daphne may have broken her leg." Harry helped Daphne get onto the bed, mindful of her hurt leg. Once she was settled as comfortable as possible he straightened up and stepped back from the bed to give Madam Pomfrey room for her examination and Daphne the privacy she needed after her ordeal.

A small hand grabbed his. He looked down at Daphne, her eyes were puffy and shining from the tears she shed. A slight blush graced her beautiful face as she returned his gaze with those incredible blue eyes.

"Please, stay. I don't want to be on my own right now."

Madam Pomfrey gave him a meaningful look across Daphne's body, already casting diagnosis charms and not seeming to like the results, if the deep frown on her face was anything to go by. "Do as she asked," she mouthed.

He took a closer look at Daphne. The signs of hysteria were unmistakable: her flushed face, the way she clung to his hand, and the pleading voice. How could he leave her to her demons? He squeezed her hand.

"I gave my word I would stay; I'm just getting a chair that's all."

Daphne relaxed with an audible sigh, and Madam Pomfrey gave him an approving nod while she checked the leg once over.

"Thankfully, Miss Greengrass you have only sprained it; a quick potion should help you in no time. However, what are these dark bruises on your upper leg, dear?" she asked.

Fresh tears gathered in Daphne's eyes, and Harry gritted his teeth.

"They... He tried..." Daphne in vain tried to find the right words. Her voice gave out, she shook her head, bit her lower lip as if to hold back the tears, and averted her face.

"One of the students attempted to force himself on her," Harry said in a quiet voice. His thumb brushed Daphne's knuckles in support.

Poppy's face morphed from horror to sadness and then rage.

"I should hope he is before the headmistress right now!"

"He is, as are the others."

"Others?" The matron blanched and gripped the front of her uniform with one hand. "Merlin help us, what has this war done to the children in this castle? I never would've thought I'd see the day when rapists roamed the halls of Hogwarts. What will come next? Murder?"

Harry had no answer to that, and Madam Pomfrey didn't seem to expect one, anyway.

"Well done Mr Potter, I will just go and collect the potions. I won't be long." She removed herself, leaving the two young adults alone.

Harry still held Daphne's hand in his. She had her eyes closed, and his thumb never stopped grazing her knuckles gently to show he was still there. It was odd, for the past seven years he had only ever seen her from afar, yet she demanded he should stay with her to support and comfort her. Even with her puffy eyes and ruffled appearance she was incredibly beautiful. His stomach gave that odd little flutter again, by no means unpleasant, yet somewhat unsettling. What by Merlin's underpants was going on with him? "Do you want me to get you anything?" he asked, in an attempt to distract himself from his wandering thoughts.

She turned her beautiful face to him, her blue eyes stared right into his, and his heart skipped a beat.

"No, I'm ok, thank you … I'd like it if you still stayed ... but if you need to be somewhere then that's ok, too." Her voice was so low he had to bend forward to understand her.

So he relaxed and observed her again. What was it with her that was drawing his interest? Yes, she was beautiful, and he was a teenage boy with a vastly improved eyesight, so he was naturally drawn to that. However, that wasn't just it. Was he falling for her? No, he'd experienced that with Ginny, this felt different.

Maybe it was the way she'd reacted to the situation? He was a Gryffindor, so it was only natural he'd admire courage when he saw it, wasn't it? The fight she'd put up was a sight to behold, gone in that moment was the shy and bumbling girl he bumped into outside of DADA. In her place was a woman who stood against overwhelming odds, knowing that doing so would likely cause her more harm than good. Yes, that had to be it. He was impressed by that will to fight and to defend, no matter the consequences.

However, why then the raging fire that had erupted within himself when he saw what that bastard was intending to do to her? His free fist clenched into his palm so hard that his nails punctured his skin. That pain was nothing compared to what she was nearly subjected to. How did McLaggen, this pathetic excuse for a man, think he could do what he intended; how did he dare think he was worthy of someone like her?

"Harry?"

His eyes snapped open; he hadn't even noticed they had closed. One look into those troubled eyes and he relaxed, his heartbeat slowed down and his free hand relaxed. He had left her hanging on her last sentence, gods, he was so wrapped up in his selfish curiosity and anger he had neglected her right there. He'd never do so again.

"I'm not going anywhere; I'm staying right here with you, at least until Tracey comes and kicks me out." He chuckled. It sounded fake in his ears, truth be told, he'd never felt less than laughing. What had McLaggen done to her? What had happened to the proud woman who refused to be terrified by the taunts and fought back, even though the odds were against her? Gone was the spirit, her face was pale and withdrawn, her eyes had lost the fire, and the broken woman in front of him was a mere shell of the woman in the hallway.

The joke was lame, but it earned him a giggle from Daphne, and some colour returned into her cheeks. He heaved an internal sigh of relief. There was still hope McLaggen hadn't destroyed her.

"I never thanked you" she said.

"You did, on the walk to here, if you recall." He offered a small smile, and his heart swelled when he got one in return.

"That was for not judging me and just letting me let it out. I meant thank you for saving Tracey and me. Her voice still was much too quiet and withdrawn.

"I couldn't have done it without you."

She startled, and her eyes became wide. "What do you mean by that?"

"If it wasn't for your stand then we would not have arrived in time, Daphne. The reason you are both ok is because of you." He'd better not dwell on that thought. Unthinkable, had he not reached her in time...

Her eyes were on him, they held a strange light, almost akin to pride.

"I, I just-" She stammered.

"Don't sell yourself short, Daphne. I have fought nearly my whole life, I have seen people freeze from fear and flee in terror, but there are also those who stand against danger, even knowing that it could cost them their lives." His free hand gently took hers that he already held. "I admire those who fight, those who do not cow to fear, and tonight you were one of those people."

"If you had not come, however, they could've..." She paused and gulped.

Heat shot into Harry's face. He hated to see her so defeated. Never again she , or any other person, should have to feel fear in these halls again.

"My fight would've been for naught," she whispered.

"No, never for nothing, don't think that. You showed those cowards that they are nothing to fear. Even when they had the upper hand you did not give in. The fact that you fought without knowledge that help was coming makes it even more impressive, Daphne." He smiled down at her and gave her hand a gentle squeeze.

She let out a noise that was halfway between a sob and a choke.

"Gods I'm sorry," she whispered, and wiped her eyes with her free hand, not wanting to remove the one he held, enjoying the warmth and comfort it offered her, yet afraid her tears might scare him away. According to the girls in her house, most men tended to roll their eyes when a girl got emotional, or worse, just left them to it.

"Why are you apologising? You've been through a hell of a night!" he replied quietly. "I used to think that crying was a weakness, my uncle, he would …"

Daphne held her breath as his eyes became distant and haunted. What was that about his uncle? Before she could think about a way to ask such a personal question, he moved on.

"For years I'd bottle things up you know. Then I realised that it takes incredible strength to allow people to see you so vulnerable. There was a little more pepper behind his tone, his bright emerald were eyes back and flicking to her own.

For a moment she completely forgot where they were, it was one perfect moment, him and her.

"All I'm saying is, never apologise for simply feeling." He chuckled lightly.

His chuckle caused a warmth to radiate within her, if she wasn't head over heels for him already, his caring demeanour would've thrown her over the edge.

"I think you might have a point," she said with a small smile, the last of her tears slipping down her cheeks.

"I am known to have the odd few," he quipped and puffed his chest out.

Daphne giggled a little and slapped his chest lightly with her free hand, resisting the blush that threatened to show.

"That said I owe you an apology Daphne" His tone turned sombre.

That caught her off guard.

"Why?"

A shy grin tugged at the corner of his lips. "When we knocked each other over you left a letter behind. I picked it up to return it to you when my eyes caught a glimpse of one of the words." His eyes didn't meet hers.

She flinched as she remembered the vile words and promises within that letter, something she wished no one would have seen.

"I fail to see why you should be sorry for those vile words," came her quiet voice. "Afterall, you didn't write them." She didn't write the letter, either, yet she had allowed it to get at her. What a pathetic weak washcloth she was!

"No,I didn't. Yet I should've spoke to you about it then and there and make sure you are alright. Instead I took my concerns to the headmistress. The meeting took longer than I thought, hence why I missed classes for the rest of the day. She was beyond angry at what was within the letter."

He had what? The headmistress knew about the letter. Oh no, what if the contents got out? What did he have to think of her?

"You have my word that no one within this school will know about the letter, only I, the headmistress and Hannah are aware of its existence and only I and the headmistress have read it," he said, as if he had read her thoughts.

She cast him a fleeting, upward glance. There was a lot of compassion and understanding in his eyes. Maybe he _had_ read her thoughts? She let out a sigh of relief, if Harry said her secrets were safe, they were. He also didn't look as if he condemned her for the letter, just the contrary, the dark look that flickered across his face and the way his nostrils flared for a moment indicated that he was furious about it. Maybe even furious on her behalf? No, that probably was getting up her hopes too high.

"When we were finished, Hermione and Ron came and found me, she mentioned you and Tracey were on patrols tonight. I had a bad feeling about that, considering the threats in the letter, and the rest you know," Harry said.

He took a deep breath. He'd better not think about the moment he found Daphne's name on the map, surrounded by those bastards. He'd all but sprinted from the headmistress's office, Hermione and Ron hot on his heels, and raced to the girl's aid. Thank Merlin they made it in time!

She didn't say anything, but the movement of her thumb on his knuckles and gentle squeeze from her hand said more than one thousand words could express.

…

"I have never been more appalled in all my time of teaching here! How dare you think it is acceptable to threaten students, some of them are only twelve years old!" Headmistress McGonagall voice was quiet, which made it even more intimidating, as she glared at the seven students before her.

Hermione, Ron and Tracey stood at the door to block any escape - and to keep their distance from a very enraged McGonagall.

She advanced on the three white-faced girls, who blanched even more and recoiled. "You! How could you stand by? How could you laugh at the vilest act that can be done to a woman? You will count yourself lucky that it was Mr Potter who found you and he maintained his calm. I certainly wouldn't have been that lenient!"

McLaggen and Smith were awake and bound to chairs. At Headmistress McGonagall's words, McLaggen sneered, while Smith turned as pale as a sheet, The other five students were visibly shaking, two of the girls broke out into tears at Headmistress McGonagall's last words.

Headmistress McGonagall was not yet through with them. Her furious glare focussed on the three girls and the two boys not bound. "You five will be expelled from Hogwarts for your actions, and your wands broken. While the last decision is up to the board of governors, it is within my powers of headmistress to suspend you until that moment. You will remain here whilst your things are gathered, and your parents will be informed to collect you." She turned to Cormac and Smith. "As for you two, I have informed the Auror Department. They will be here shortly to arrest you."

Smith' face took on a distinct shade of green, and tears pooled in his eyes, while McLaggen's sneer slipped and for the first time a frightened expression appeared on his face.

Tracey suppressed a snort. What a moron! Had he thought he'd get away with a slap on his fingers in case he got caught?

The headmistress paid them no heed and looked up to the trio at the back of the room.

"I trust miss Greengrass is headed to the hospital wing?"

"Yes ma'am, Harry offered to take her there and wait until Tracey had submitted a memory for review," Hermione replied.

"Very well, you three are free to go. I have no doubt you are anxious to see your friend and classmate. Please let Harry and Daphne know I would like to see them tomorrow." She gave them a terse smile.

The three nodded, exited the office, and headed down the steps to the main corridor. There they paused and stood in an awkward silence for a moment.

Tracey turned to Hermione and Ron, a warm smile on her face."Thank you, thank you from the bottom of my heart. I dread to think what could've happened had you not…"

"Don't mention it, hadn't it been for Harry and his gut feeling, we wouldn't have thought of looking for you,' Ron said.

Hermione nodded to that with downcast eyes.

"Yes, Harry insisted on going after you. And when we realised you were cornered by those sorry excuses for human beings… I think I've never seen Harry that angry before, I thought he was going to kill McLaggen."

A mischievous gleam appeared in Tracey's eyes. "I know this is a strange time to ask, but it might help us all take our minds off what just happened. "

Ron and Hermione both looked at her with various degrees of confusion and curiosity on their faces.

"Do you know if Potter is seeing anyone?"

"What?" Ron spluttered, while an understanding smile appeared on Hermione's face.

"Well I think he has his eye on Daphne. I saw him steal glances at her on the first night and in defence earlier today. However, he never mentioned her. That's not surprising, Harry is a very private person. Considering how agitated he was when I told him you two were on patrol tonight..." Her voice drifted off, the smile on her face deepened and became decidedly mischievous.

Tracey's heart leapt. Harry had started to take notice of Daphne! Her best friend would be over the moon when she told her. They'd make a striking couple…

_I wish it was me!_

She started. What? Where was that coming from? Sure, Potter was good looking, smart and athletic and he may have starred in a few steamy dreams of hers, but never did she imagine anything beyond that.

It had to be the fact that the man had rescued her and Daphne from a cruel fate. Which girl didn't have a weak spot for a knight in shining armour? That was it, she had a mild case of hero worship, nothing more.

Right?

"I dunno, guys don't discuss things like that," Ron saig,, bringing Tracey back to the present.

"But you will happily discuss who has the biggest -" Hermione clamped her mouth shut while her cheeks pinked.

"Hermione, you… you…" Ron spluttered with red ears.

"Sorry that was tasteless," the witch muttered.

"Wait, what?" Tracey asked. To what was Hermione referring to?

"It's nothing, a story for another time, perhaps? Ron murmured, his ears a deep shade of read..

Realisation struck Tracey.

"Did Granger almost let slip some locker room gossip?" She gave a nervous chuckle. Who would've thought the uptight bookworm had it in her? And yet, Daphne had almost been raped, and she also had had a narrow escape, so right now probably wasn't the best time to engage into smutty banter. Thank Merlin she'd been unconscious, so there wouldn't be any images to haunt her. She'd have to leave that horrible incident behind her, she couldn't allow it to rule her life.

She gave the two mortified lions in front of her an indulgent smile.

"Look, what nearly happened was horrid and I am incredibly grateful for your timely arrival. But I was not awake for any of it so it's like it never happened for me. It's different for Daphne, I guess.I refuse to let slime like that to drag me down, they win that way." with a raise her chin and took a deep breath.

Silence passed for a moment.

"Well said." Hermione's lips twitched upwards.

"I like to think so." Tracey winked at her, then turned to Ron with a raised eyebrow. "So, this locker room talk? What else are you discussing there?"

The redhead looked like a deer caught in the headlights and groaned.

Tracey and Hermione exchanged a look and broke out into laughter.


	3. Chapter 3

**A Simple Act**

_Chapter Three – I've Only Ever Wanted Love_

Sometimes it is but a simple act of kindness that can change worlds.

One mild October morning Daphne sat at the Slytherin table in the Great Hall and picked at her breakfast. Her appetite was lacking lately because of two incidents her mind refused to let go ever since they had happened.

Both had occurred on the day of the Gryffindor vs. Hufflepuff match. A wave of heat shot into her cheeks as she recalled the day.

After the game, she and Tracey had trailed behind Hermione from the stands towards the Gryffindor locker room, with the intention of waiting for Harry and Ron to come out. When they rounded the corner, the door to the locker room opened and the five other team members filed out of the changing rooms, singing some song about Potter and swooping at the top of their lungs. She and Tracey had stepped to the side to let them pass, Hermione, however, took their leaving as a sign that the coast was clear and dashed into the changing room without so much as a knock.

"Hey you!" The voice of the bushy-haired witch came through the open door. Probably she'd flung herself into Ron's arms, followed up with a swift peck on the lips.

Daphne suppressed an envious sigh. Well, at least that's what she would do if Harry were her boyfriend, and if she ever found the guts to act on her feelings for himt.

"You played well today, honey!" Hermione praised.

Tracey roled her eyes. "Honestly?" She bumped her shoulder with Daphne's. "Come on, let's make sure that won't get out of hand." She darted past Hermione.

Daphne followed at a slower pace.

"Really Granger? If we knew you'd be sucking face with Wesley we would've waited outside!" Tracey exclaimed in mock annoyance.

Daphne entered the room just in time for Ron raising his head from Hermione's lips and his face turning the infamous Weasley red. Hermione didn't fare much better.

Tracey stood next to the door, her shoulders leaned against the wall, and the slight smirk on her face betrayed how much she enjoyed herself.

Daphne looked around in the small room. Where was Harry? She'd hoped to see him, wearing that easy smile that caused her to clam up something sweet.

Ron caught her eye, frowned, then gave her a knowing smile.

Heat shot into her cheeks. Damned, found out by Harry's best friend. So much for her Slytherin cunning, if Weasley noticed her attempts to locate Harry, she might as well advertise her crush on him on the front page of the Prophet.

"I did tell you to wait a minute." Hermione chuckled and turned towards them in Ron's arms, quickly recovering from her embarrassment about being caught snogging her boyfriend.

"Where's the fun in that?" Tracey said and winked.

Ron rolled his eyes, but grinned. Strange enough, Ron had not uttered a single disparaging remark about their house and had been as welcoming as Harry and Hermione when Tracey and she joined the trio. 

"Hey Ron, have you seen my - Oh" Harry stopped dead in his tracks on the threshold to the shower room, his hair wet and ruffled, and wearing nothing but a towel. Small droplets ran down his well defined chest.

Daphne's eyes went wide, she flung her hand in front of her mouth to suppress the squeak that threatened to escape her lips. Where did that sudden urge come from to run towards him, lick the droplets from his chest, and then Vanish the towel to get at what was waiting for her beneath? Heat shot into her face. Gods, she needed a cold shower. The group of young adults stood deathly still and quiet, the only noise was the water dripping from Harry's body.

"I knew you were working out more!" Hermione finally laughed and turned towards Ron. 'I think you should join him. Those abs would look good on you, too.'

That broke the tension. Ron gave a resigned nod, the look in his eyes betrayed he knew that the days of his gorging at dinner were over.

"I'll say!" Tracey said. She took her lower lip between her teeth and eyed Harry as if he was the main dish of a feast prepared only for her. "I didn't know you were hiding that tasty morsel under those clothes, Potter." The sultry tone of her voice matched the heated look she gave him.

Daphne froze. Her best friend wouldn't… would she? Her glance flickered to Harry.

He gaped at Tracey, and two red spots appeared on his cheekbones. His eyes turned towards her, as if pleading for help.

Daphne's stomach flip-flopped, and her emotions went haywire - hunger, shame, envy, and giddyness, all in one.

Harry's eyes locked with hers for a long moment. The colour on his cheeks deepened. At last, he tore his eyes away. 

"I, er... was just... Bbye!" Harry flushed even more and bolted back into the showers.

Daphne sighed and stirred her cereals. Ever since then none of her nights had passed without an erotic dream about Harry. Her face warmed up once more, and she cast a cautious glance around the room. Had anyone noticed?

No, it was Saturday, the Great Hall was almost empty this early in the morning, and nobody paid her any heed, so she allowed her thoughts to drift back to the rather arousing dream that involved a certain dark-haired wizard and his lips against her neck, trailing lower as his rough hands skilfully undid her shirt. She had nearly screamed in frustration when Tracey had awoken her before her dream turned fully erotic.

The second incident was not as exciting. The look Tracey had given Harry when he came out of the shower room, clad in nothing but a towel around his narrow hips… Had her sexually adventurous best friend developed feelings for Harry? She worried her lower lip with her teeth. No, that couldn't be. Tracey was doing her very best to help her overcome her shyness and spend more time with Harry. Tracey's efforts had been successful, too, she'd spent most of her free time in Harry's company, albeit always in their little group. Yet the way the brunette was looking at the object of her affection, no, the man she had fallen in love with in the last few years, was unsettling...

Was she silly to be jealous? After all, she'd watched girls throw themselves at Harry since third year. However, the thought of Tracey joining the club of those who were after Harry was disturbing, to say the least. If Tracey had set her sight on Harry, she'd lose her best friend as well as any chance with Harry. There was no way she could compete with Tracey...

Tracey was the same height as Daphne, who herself was not short, only two or three inches shorter than Harry. While Daphne had the slender build of a dancer, with long legs and arms, Tracey was all curves with an ample chest, an asset she loved to show off with push-up bras, and often "forgot" to do up the top two buttons of her shirt. Her best friend was an incredibly attractive witch, her biggest asset, however, was her confident and outgoing nature that lured the boys, she was a classic flirt and many thought her an easy lay.

Daphne snorted. Nobody knew better than her that Tracey was all talk, yes, she liked to boast in front of Daphne with her broom closet encounters, which were not as numerous as the school rumour mill would have you believe. Despite all talk, Tracey was still a "classy" woman, she used to say a guy only got into her knickers if she felt some connection with him, she wouldn't just sleep with anyone.

"Want to let me in on the joke?"

Daphne jumped, she'd forgotten that Tracey sat beside her, not at all struggling with her breakfast.

Her best friend gave her a look full of interest.

"Nothing, just Weasley's face when Hermione suggested he go on morning runs with Harry." The lie came easily to her lips, last thing she needed was Tracey knowing about her jealousy.

Tracey must have bought it, she chuckled and bit into her toast.

"That was comical! Can't say I blame Granger though. I knew Potter was fit, but gods, that body… Oh look, here it comes in now." Tracey nodded towards the doors.

The famed golden trio walked into the great hall, with Hermione and Harry at the front, followed by a rather haggard looking Ron.

Daphne's heart leapt to her throat when Harry's eyes flicked over in their direction and cast an easy smile at them which almost caused her brain to melt from her ears and made her mouth respond with a bright smile of her own. She straightened, angry at herself. She had to get a grip on herself, it wouldn't do if the whole of Hogwarts found out about her hopeless crush on Harry.

The three took a seat at the Gryffindor table and began piling food onto their plates, whilst Harry would look their way now and then.

She couldn't keep her eyes off him. Great, now she had a third reason to be distracted from her food.

"He is soo into you," Tracey whispered.

Daphne's head whipped around to her friend.

Tracey's eyes sparkled with excitement and mischief. Yet, was there something else behind these two dominant emotions? .

She sighed. "I wish!"

Her best friend glared at her.

"Go on like this and I swear to Merlin I will go over there and snog him senseless the next time you utter such nonsense." Her voice was final and firm.

The two witches glared at each other for a moment, when a voice from the middle of the hall called out. "Hey, you two!"

Hermione's words from across the sparsely populated hall caused both Slytherins to halt their staring contest and look over.

"You going to join us? I could use some female company over here, and Harry is third wheeling!"

"I'm what?" Harry exclaimed in mock outrage.

Daphne paused for a moment, the familiar nervous knot whenever she was going to be spending some time near Harry formed in her stomach, it had become worse since she was having rather steamy dreams about him.

Tracey didn't give her time to dwell on it, she rose from her seat beside her and headed over to the lion's table, which was rather empty with just the golden trio and a couple of younger students smattered about. Her best friend's gaze was firmly fixed on Harry as she walked over.

Worry built up within Daphne once again. What was her best friend up to? She glanced at Harry, surely he'd be as intrigued by Tracey as all other boys.

Harry's eyes, however, looked at her with a strange light in them, and that sweet little smile once again played around his lips.

Her heart shot in her throat, took residence there, and beat a drumroll. Could it be Tracey was right?

Well, there was no time like the present to find out.

She rose from her seat and caught up with Tracey, whose eyes left Harry and flicked to Daphne, a small smirk playing about her lips. Yep, Tracey definitely was up to something. Best case, she was trying to help her to get together with Harry. Worst case...

Daphne's hands became clammy at that thought.

Thankfully, Ron took that moment to get back at his girlfriend.

"Another word and we will discuss that dental floss you call underwear."

Heat flushed into Hermione's cheeks, and she lowered her eyes at the table in embarrassment.

Ron chuckled, tapped fists with Harry behind his girlfriend's back, and the two boys exchanged a smirk and a nod.

"Did we miss Grangers underwear choices?" Tracey quipped as she dropped onto the bench on the opposite side from the three Gryffindors.

Daphne rolled her eyes at Tracey's blunt question, she loved her to pieces, but gods, she was crude. She slipped into the seat beside her and opposite of Harry and dared a look at the young man. To her delight he was looking right back at her, with that gentle smile that lingered in her mind's eye more often that she would like to admit still firmly in place.

"Well-"Hermione stammered, glaring at Ron who snickered.

"I'm not adverse to the minimalist type of underwear, the more lace the better, I say." Tracey smirked with a short side glance to Harry, and gave him a not at all subtle wink.

Daphne waited for his reaction with bated breath. Would he take Tracey up to her unveiled invitation?

Ever the gentleman, Harry merely shook his head with an easy smile and took a bite from his bacon.

Daphne let out the breath she'd been holding. Could it be that Harry was immune to Tracey's flirting?

"Do we have to discuss female underwear at breakfast?!" Ron complained around his pancakes.

Hermione responded with a fake gagging motion that earned giggles from the two Slytherins.

"Oh come off it Ron, firstly, you were the one who started it, and secondly, the common room last night had to overhear the whole quidditch team discussing who has the biggest… Well you know!" Hermione rolled her eyes and nibbled her toast.

"You didn't have to listen, it was team bonding!"

"Yeah, team bonding, my poor ears, no one needs to know that Seamus is an unfortunate four and half inches."

"Hermione!" Both Ron and Harry gasped loudly.

"Oops!" The bushy Gryffindor said quietly, albeit she didn't look sorry at all.

Tracey burst out laughing whilst Daphne suppressed a giggle. The Irish Gryffindor often acted like gods gift to women, she'd had to fend off his unveiled invitations more than once, so her sympathy with the public announcement of his… uh… shortcomings was limited. The git was clearly overcompensating.

"Poor lad is going to kill Ron if that gets out," Harry murmured.

"Why me?!" Ron gaped.

"Well it was you who started the… measuring contest, as we will call it. Only natural you'd let it out … Pun not intended," Harry replied and casually scooped his scrambled eggs into his mouth.

"You know what, I nearly get torn apart by a three headed dog, eaten by spiders, dragged off by a thought-to-be murderer, nearly killed by death eaters more times than I'd like to count and this is how you repay me?" Ron spoke in a dramatic tone.

"Oh, captain my captain!" Harry rose from his bench, hand to his chest.

Hermione burst out laughing, nearly falling out of her seat.

Daphne giggled at the theatrics, even though she didn't understand the reference Harry was making. She had to ask Hermione about that later, probably it was some Muggle thing.

"So, come on! Who is the biggest in the Gryffindor team?" Tracey asked and leaned on the bench.

Daphne rolled her eyes. Trust Tracey not to let go.

"You really have a one tracked mind Tracey, " she muttered.

That earned her a small glare from the brunette witch, while Harry pinked and looked down at the remaining food on his plate.

"Well, if the ruckus in the dorm after Harry's measurement is to be believed..." Hermione said, her eyes darting towards Harry with a mischievous spark in them.

Harry pushed away his plate and glared at her.

"Reckon they will let him add the half next to his number on his quidditch robes." Ron finished his girlfriend's sentence...

There was a pause, Hermione and Ron were struggling to hold in their mirth, as Harry's stare looked like it would kill lesser wizards.

The silence of their little group coincidental with a general lull in the conversations in the Great Hall.

Tracey gasped, her eyes as wide as saucers.

"Seven and a half! Mr Potter!" Her voice echoed about the hall.

All heads whipped around to them.

"Oh, sweet merciful Christ!" Harry groaned, lowered his head, and palmed his face with his hands.

"That's what she said… Or would say. .. Or scream" Tracey gave him a saucy grin, unrepetant as always.

Hermione and Ron let go of their restraint and burst out laughing.

Heat rushed into Daphne's cheeks as the image of a towel draped Harry Potter once again came to the forefront of her mind. Knowing that little… or rather, not so little... detail of him didn't help at all to push the image back. She suppressed a sigh. She had never been with anyone with her desire to wait for Harry, so her poor neglected urges were going into overdrive.

Ron gave her a short side glance. "Change of subject, I think." Professor Western has been keeping you back a few times after lessons Harry, anything interesting?" His abrupt change of topic caused the others to look at him with various degrees of confusion and took the attention off Daphne.

She gave him a small, thankful smile in return. However, she was not the only one to be relieved by the change of topic.

"Er, yeah he wanted to discuss my future. He thinks I'd make a great professional duellist, wanted to know what I thought," Harry said with more than a hint of relief in his voice. .

"And?" Hermione asked.

"I don't know, he thinks I'd be good, but I always wanted to be an Auror, at the same time I'm not really sure I want a career in the magical world... Well, at least not here, anyway." He shrugged.

Hermione dropped her fork with a clatter, Ron nearly choked on his bacon, while Tracey' merely raised an eyebrow.

Daphne's stomach gave a painful lurch. Was he thinking about leaving magical Britain, or the magical world alltogether? She flinched at the thought. No, that couldn't be, he couldn't leave her right now, she was just starting to get to know him...

"Harry .." Hermione said, and worried her lower lip..

Harry held up a hand as if to stop her. "Hermione, this world has not been great to me, has it? Since I arrived, I was celebrated for my parent's death, called a liar, a brat, attention seeking, and all knows what else they managed to conjure up." His voice was soft and when he ended he looked down at his empty plate. "Why should I stay? Now that I'm the hero in their eyes I'm praised… Until the next time I do something they don't agree with."

Hermione blanched.

Ron grabbed Harry's shoulder. "Mate, it doesn't matter what they think, you've got us, remember?"

"And you'll always have me, I've not decided yet. Plus, you'd only be a portkey away." He chuckled in an attempt to break the subdued mood. "I might not even leave the country; I've always been told Cornwall was beautiful, and I think I'd like to live by the coast., It's just... I don't think I want to be a part of the magical world after all this."

Again, a heavy silence settled on the small group. Daphne couldn't take her eyes off Harry. He surely had a point there, the magical world had treated him abysmal. And yet…

"Well, I haven't deceided yet, and I won't be leaving tomorrow, either." Harry's voice broke the silence. "Maybe something will happen that makes me change my mind." His eyes swerved towards her and turned away as quickly.

Daphne lowered her gaze to the table. Sweet Morgana, what could she do to make him change his mind?

…

"You ok?" Tracey asked gently.

Daphne and Tracey were sat in the library together, books on defence and charms open as they made a start on the coursework that had been assigned that week. Harry had to attend to head boy duties with Hannah after their breakfast, whilst Ron and Hermione went off to spend some time together alone and since that breakfast and Harry's confession, Daphne had felt very deflated.

"I'm fine" she lied, it was a weak response and judging by the look from her best friend, she caught it.

"Is this about what Harry said?" Tracey asked, though Daphne suspected she already knew the answer. She tried berating herself, every waking moment since the start of this year had Harry in her thoughts, yes she had fancied him and then fallen in love him with over the last five years but never had her mind been so cluttered.

"What about it?" she tried to quip casually, not looking up for her book and thus failing to see the anger well up on her best friend's face.

"For fuck sakes Daphne!" Tracey snapped, slamming her book on charms closed and making Daphne jump, her eyes wide at the sudden outburst.

"Wha-"

"Do you have any idea how lucky you are right now? You have been pinning after that boy since you were bloody thirteen and its bloody obvious that he is into you, but you won't do anything!" the brunette fumed, thank heavens for those privacy charms that Daphne had always insisted upon, for her friends words would otherwise alert the whole school judging by how loud and angry she was. "I get it, you're scared and at the opening feast he only looked at you a few times, so you were doubting it, but since then? Harry always looks at you and only you, despite half the sodding school throwing themselves at him. If you carry on the way you are he will lose interest and not because he wants to get into your knickers but you clam up, he likely thinks you aren't interested and one of these days a woman is going to win his attention and you will be kicking yourself" she ranted.

Daphne sat shocked at the outburst; it wasn't her fault! How was she supposed to tell Harry she had fancied him for quiet a few years now, how did you even bring that up with someone? Yes, she had seen the way he looked at her when they spoke, he didn't sneak a look at her chest when he thought she wasn't looking, not that her breasts were anything to shout about mind. No, he held her gaze and she could see a strange light every time they met, she found his love of magic addictive, he was almost childlike when he discovered a new spell in lesson's and it only endeared him more to her. Then a sudden flare of anger came forth as she remembered Tracey's not so subtle flirting with Harry, how could she give her grief when her best friend was acting like all those girls she just mentioned.

"You know why I can't just walk up and tell him" Daphne said heatedly, "It might be easy for you to flirt and admit your feelings to boys but you forget I haven't had the experience that you and those other girls have!" she huffed, her anger getting the better of her now. "And you, you want me to get together with Harry yet seem to be flirting with him a hell of a lot recently, and don't give me that rubbish about motivating me because its just that, rubbish" she fumed.

Tracey went to snap back but managed to hold her tongue, could she not see how lucky she was! At first it was just a bit of flirting with the green-eyed golden boy, but Harry was beyond what she expected. Since that horrid night he had all but insisted on the two girls to join them whenever they were just milling about or studying, and while Tracey was no fool and could see his gorgeous eyes looking at Daphne when he thought no one was looking, she still had that odd feeling in the pit of her stomach. She had wished to whatever deity had existed in those moments that Malfoy had been telling the truth, that he was some overrated, arrogant idiot, at least then she could dislike him. No matter though that she was dealing with her own conflicted feelings however, she wanted nothing more than for Daphne to be happy, and her best friend had long fallen in love with Harry towards the end of their fourth year. No, she wouldn't come between that.

"Daph come on" Tracey said softly, watching as Daphne sat back in her chair. Her eyes slightly misty, gods she had no believe Harry would care for her.

"Why would he choose me?" she asked, her mouth quivering. "When there are girls far more confident and funnier, hell even you are doing better than I am" That made Tracey feel awful, yet she couldn't bring herself to berate herself, head and heart fighting itself.

"Because even Hermione thinks he is into you!" Tracey blurted out, her head winning that mini battle.

Daphne looked up with interest at that, but Tracey sat back in her chair.

"I shouldn't have said that, she told me in confidence" the brunette muttered.

Daphne was about to press the issue before the sound of the library door opening caught both of their attentions. Her heart skipped a beat and then increased its rhythm when they saw Harry enter and watched as he walked over to Madam Price with a couple of books, she couldn't hear what was said but couldn't keep her eyes from his handsome face and carefree smile when talking to the school librarian. She silently wished that she could catch his eye and without even knowing she was doing it, was making sure she looked presentable, tucking her hair behind her ear and smoothing out her jumper, ignoring the smile smirk on Tracey's face.

"Hey Potter!" Tracey called out, making Daphne jump. The man in question looked up from Madam Price's desk and his eyes searched for the source of the voice, his emerald eyes locking onto them moments later before he began heading over. Daphne did her best to compose herself and as he approached, gave him a shy smile which he returned with a charming one of his own, causing her heartrate to jump up again. She needed to learn to compose herself!

"Ladies, how has your morning been" he asked politely, coming to stand before the small table they were sat at.

"Better now that you're here" Tracey replied with a flirtatious smirk on her lips. Daphne's concerns again rose near to the surface before she tried to bury that feeling, instead she focused on the object of her affections, feeling her face warm up a little when he locked eyes with her and held them for a few moments.

"We are just working through defence and charms at the moment, you … would you like to join us?" Daphne asked, _that's it Daphne, he won't be able to stop thinking about him when you lure him with textbooks!_ Her mind yelled sarcastically.

"Sure, I've finished my defence work but I've still got a bit to do on charms" Harry said casually and pulled out the chair besides Daphne and dropped into it, pulling out some parchment and quills and setting them on the table, his hand brushed Daphne's arm as he placed his ink pot down, causing the blonde to shiver slightly, not unpleasantly so.

"You've finished defence all ready?!" Tracey asked, her mouth dropping open.

"Of course, I'm not slacking this year" Harry chuckled, earning a giggle from Daphne as well.

"We could tell in the changing room Potter" Tracey quipped casually as she began another sentence on her essay.

"Is she always this crass" Harry asked Daphne with a smirk, almost causing her to slide from her seat in a puddle of goo.

"This is nothing" she replied with a roll of her eyes, before reaching up and massaging her neck which was stiff from leaning over their textbooks for the past couple of hours.

"You sore?" Harry asked.

"Just stiff that's all, nothing to worry about" Daphne replied quietly, flattered he was showing concern.

"if you wanted … I could er, massage the tension away? I took a few lessons over the summer to try and distract myself from everything" he chuckled nervously. Daphne felt her cheeks grow incredibly warm at the thought of Harry's hands massaging her on her neck, well anywhere really.

"If you don't take him up on that offer Daph I will be" Tracey practically glared at her best friend.

"It was just an offer, only if you want one of course" Harry explained, seemingly embarrassed himself.

"That would .. be nice" Daphne replied before glancing at her friend pointedly, the message clear. _Get lost_. The look appeared to work as Tracey furrowed her eyebrows for a moment, before closing her textbook again.

"Right well, I have no wish to watch Daphne get pleasured by a man, so I am off"

Both Harry and Daphne when bright red at the insinuation. _Good_! Tracey thought before swiftly leaving the pair behind.

"Are you sure, I wasn't thinking when I offered, you just looked in a bit of pain so I thought .." Harry stammered, something Daphne was finding quite sweet and relatable right at that moment.

"No, it was a lovely offer, and what sane person would turn down a massage" she giggled, trying to lift some of the tension. _Sexual tension maybe? No that would be too good to be true._

"Right then, sit up straight and I'll do your neck and shoulders .. if you feel uncomfortable in any way you will tell me?" Harry asked gently as he came to stand behind her.

"Yes I will" she said with a gentle breath, she was starting to shake with anticipation. What witch in her right mind would feel uncomfortable with Harry's hands gently caressing their shoulders?

When she felt his hands gently come to rest on either side of her neck just above where it met her shoulder, her heart was beating like a drum and he hadn't even started yet. Ever so softly she felt his hands and fingers gently work against the muscles in her shoulders which were covered but her cotton jumper, before he gently worked upwards towards the base of her neck. The moment his fingers contacted her skin she felt Goosebumps erupt all over her skin and her mouth parted slightly, it took all her willpower not to let out a slight moan of pleasure at the contact.

Not to mention how the rest of her body was reacting to Harry' soft touches, they were so pleasurable she didn't think she would care if someone stumbled across them right now.

"Is the pressure ok?" he said gently.

Not trusting her words, she merely nodded. She would rather not breathe out _oh god yes._

"I'm going to move your hair over your shoulder so I can get to the back of your neck, you've got quite a few knots there" he followed up, when she nodded again, he gathered her golden hair and moved it over her shoulder and returned his hands to her neck, his fingers kneading up the back of it and towards the back of her skull. To say she was in heaven right now would've been an understatement of the century as Harry worked miracles on her neck, it was however when his rough fingers applied gentle pressure to the back of her skull, she let out a low moan of pleasure.

"Enjoying yourself?" she heard him chuckle. Her face was burning crimson now, surely, he would be able to feel the heated skin under his hands now. _Gods damn it Greengrass!_ She berated herself. Yet he hadn't stopped, and each press of his fingers was better than the last, was it possible to come undone by a massage? Daphne was focusing on not allowing anymore embarrassing noises escape her lips when after twenty minutes of sweet torture ended, she nearly passed out when he pulled her hair back over her shoulders, his fingers grazing her neck as he did so.

"Thank you, Harry," she said quietly, unable to meet his eyes for fear of him reading the emotions there.

"you're welcome" he replied, if she had been looking at him, she would've noticed the slightly look of longing that was evident behind those green eyes. Yet instead she was looking down at her hands, the corner of her eyes staring at his hand on the table and without a chance for her mind to stop her, she softly placed hers next to his own, their skin barely touching. She saw the look of confusion on his face and was about to flee in sheer embarrassment for thinking it was a good idea.

"Sorry" she muttered, _why would he like you!_

"No wait" he blurted out, his hand gently resting on hers, giving her the option to pull away if she really wanted to. Her breath caught and she mustered up the courage to face his eyes. They were soft and caring, there wasn't anyone else there for that look to be for anyone else other than her. She knew if she just looked past her shyness then she would understand that Tracey had a point, she would sometimes catch him looking at her in the Great Hall or in lesson, sometimes they would look up at the same time and his easy smile would cause her all sorts of emotions. Then there was the gentle and lingering touches now and then, how he hand taken her hand when she had to give a statement and memory for the aurors and headmistress in the aftermath of that night, he had held her gently after she had broken down outside of the headmistress's office, going over the memories of what happened had been emotionally tolling for her, and yet he had just stood there and held her gently, no judgement or anything like that.

She looked at his hand on hers and then came to a decision, she wanted him, she loved him so she would give it her all, shyness and all. She went to pull her hand away, watching as Harry appeared crestfallen as she did so. Instead of pulling away however she threaded her soft fingers between his own and cast a gentle smile at him, ignoring the heat in her cheeks.

They remained like that in the library, studying together with one hand interlocked with the other. For the first time in the last four years, Daphne Greengrass had hope.

…

Thank you to Doreatha Greengrass for all the help


	4. Chapter 4

A Simple Act

Chapter Four - Stars

A massive thank you to Dorothea Greengrass for the massive help on this chapter!

"Not sure how I feel about these new quidditch rules," Ron grumbled and eyed the new rule sheet over his bacon and eggs.

The professional circuit had changed so that games were limited to an hour, while the snitch still awarded the same amount of points, but did not stop the game.

"I like them, means the match isn't all on the seeker." Harry forked down a piece of honey cured bacon and closed his eyes in delight as the sweet taste spread around his mouth.

"Valid point, you know, did the chasers and beaters really mean much in most matches over our time at Hogwarts? Save maybe third year?" Neville said, which earned him a nod from Harry.

"I guess so, either way I'm sure we will smash the Ravens today!" Ron let the paper fall to the table with a sigh and resumed eating. "Harry, mate, how do you survive on this little food, I'm ravenous."

That got him a snort from Harry and Neville.

"Breakfast is just to get you started, if you want to be lean you have to watch your intake. Abdominal muscles nearly everyone has naturally, but if you want to have them on show, well, you need to trim the fat," Harry said with a straight face.

Ron grimaced.

"Ha! Harry is calling you fat, Ron!" Seamus hollered from down the table.

A smug grin appeared on Ron's face. "Still got a girl though, didn't I, mate," he called back.

Dean chuckled besides his Irish friend whilst a couple of the girls nearby rolled their eyes at their behaviour.

"Speaking of getting the girl," Harry said and turned to Neville. "When are you and Hannah going to sort it out?"

Neville blushed bright red and looked around wildly for a moment.

"Wha- What do you mean"

"Come off it, Nev, you bloody fought against an army of Death Eaters last year, don't try that timid shite with us now." Ron chuckled and ignored the glare the Longbottom heir shot him.

Ron had a point, however. Neville hadn't been the leader of the Hogwarts resistance for nothing, so he recovered soon from his embarrassment and grinned at Harry.

"You're one to talk! It's a bit rich that you're calling me out on girls when you and a certain blonde have been dancing about each other for weeks now."

"Ohhh, nice pass along. Better be that good on the pitch today, Nev!" Ron cackled with glee, while it was now Harry's turn to resemble a tomato..

"I have no idea what you mean," he said. Even in his own ears his voice sounded far too defensive.

"I mean the looks you both keep exchanging, the shy smiles, the blushing, oh, and don't forget how you both seem to be reaching out with your hands when you stand close." The grin on Neville's face was so broad that it almost split his face.

Harry cursed under his breath. Damn this newfound confidence of Neville's!

He sighed, ever since that moment in the library he couldn't get Daphne out of his mind. The way her skin felt under his hands, so soft and warm… Her shy smile that never failed to make his heart nearly jumping up out of his mouth, and even the simple act of holding her hand gently at the table had done things to him he'd never experienced with Ginny.

A snort from Ron brought him back to reality. He looked up into the knowing smile of his best friend.

"There you go again, thinking of your blue-eyed girl."

Heat shot into Harry's face. He looked around, had anyone heard Ron's last remark? No, his housemates were all occupied with their own affairs and paid them no heed. He let out a deep breath and glared at Ron.

"Will you knock it off! Everyone will be gossiping about it before we know it if you carry on!" He stabbed his fork into his bacon with more force than necessary..

Neville broke out into laughter. "I've got news for you, Harry, people already are!"

A jolt went through Harry, and he sat upright, his brows furrowed. He hadn't heard any gossip, and the student body was not the quietest when whispering about him.

Ron leaned forward. "Come on mate, you must've noticed. Lisa Turpin practically sat on your lap in potions the other day!" he whispered.

Harry rolled his eyes. "You're making a mountain out of a molehill. She stumbled, that's all."

"That's what she wanted you to believe." Ron snorted. "Hermione spoke to Susan Bones after Potions when Lisa had her little "accident", you know."

"And?" Harry raised an eyebrow.

"Apparently some people want to get Harry Potter's attention this year… Slaying dark lords and such does that for a person. And they are seeing the looks you are throwing Daphne. Seems that brings out the competitive streak in some of them."

"Still not seeing your point." Would he get away with feigning ignorance? Yes, he had noticed the glances some girls gave him, he wasn't blind. He wasn't dumb, either, he could imagine the reasons why those girls where interested in him. He'd already been targeted by girls in his sixth year, when he was merely the Chosen One. As The-Man-Who-Conquered he'd become even more attractive to that special set of fangirls. Too bad for them he wasn't interested at all.

He cast a surreptitious glance towards the Slytherin table where three heads were stuck together in an animated talk. His eyes lingered on the golden one, the only one that interested him these days.

As if she'd sensed his eyes on her, she looked up. A faint pink crept into her cheeks, and she gave him one of these sweet shy smiles that never failed to enchant him. Had she an idea what she did to him? The next moment she lowered her eyes and returned her attention to her conversation with Hermione and Tracey, and the Great Hall seemed a little darker and colder. Gods, he was such a sap.

"Well, you'd been ignoring her come hither eyes, as Hermione called them, all lesson. Maybe she thought she'd try the more forward approach?" Ron's voice reached him from far away.

"Turpin has a nice arse too, what was it like?" Seamus piped up from further down the table.

Harry ignored the other boys' comments, it was bad enough that the pretty brown-haired witch had "accidently" tripped and slipped on his lap, now his year mates were having a laugh about it.

"Wouldn't you like to know," Neville quipped.

"Wouldn't mind if she took a seat on me, no!" The Irishman laughed. "Not if the rumours are true, anyway, heard she's slept about a few times"

Harry grinded his teeth. There they went down the gutter again, slandering the name of a girl who'd done nothing but trying to catch the attention of the guy she was interested in. Weren't girls allowed to make a move? They probably felt the same urges as blokes, yet when a girl decided to act on them, she was a slut, easy to lay, but when a guy acted on them, he was a real man.

He raised his chin and stared down at the Irishman along his nose. "And you know that because…?"

Seamus faltered under his glare. "Eh… just rumours I heard."

Harry hardly suppressed a snort, he'd bet, his roommate was all talks and little, if not no action.

"And you've got nothing better to do than to spread them around? That's what they are, rumours, as are most of the stories about the girls in this school."

His roommates flinched at the audible anger in his voice. He cast a privacy spell, leant over and looked at Seamus past Neville with cold eyes.

"Contrary to popular belief, very few people actually have the broom closet encounters that are whispered about. Also, have you failed to notice that once that little rumour is put out the poor individual is normally hounded by the opposite sex for weeks for the same action, as they call it?" He'd become rather hot while he talked, and his voice increased in volume.

Neville went wide eyed and backed away, Dean paled and Seamus, to his credit, avoided his angry stare and looked down on the ground, rather red in the face.

When Harry's tirade came to an end, his fellow lion threw his hands up. "Look, I'm sorry, I was only joking."

Harry continued to stare at him for a long moment. The Irishman seemed genuinely contrite, so he relaxed somewhat and gave him a tight-lipped smile.

"That's fine to joke, hell we are human, and girls gossip just as we do, I'm sure, just don't judge someone by rumours you hear. Or go making them worse, you don't know the damage it causes"

Ron and Neville nodded in agreement, both remembering the damage that the years of gossiping had done to Harry.

"Well said," Dean said.

"Anyway, old seven and a half inches here still needs to catch that snitch!" Ron chuckled and looked at Harry with mirth.

"Oh, bloody hell!" Harry groaned and covered his face with the palms of his hands to the uproarious laughter from his roommates.

"Sounds like an interesting story behind that, Potter," came a feminine voice from behind him. The five lions stopped what they were doing and turned their heads to the source of the voice.

Standing behind Harry was none other than Lisa Turpin, dressed in the blue quidditch robes of the Ravenclaw team.

"It's a, uh... long… story, but I don't think it would make a thick book, you know." Seamus snickered.

"What would that make you? The quill that would go with it maybe?" Dean asked with wide, innocent eyes, and Harry brought his fist in front of his mouth to suppress the snort that escaped him. It didn't help at all that the Irishman glared at Dean, whose sides were shaking with laughter.

"Didn't know you were on the team," Ron said, while he hastily turned his broad grin into a polite face.

Heat shot into Harry's cheeks, Merlin give she hadn't overheard his friend's ribbing about the potions incident.

"Filling in for our seeker, I think his ego is still sore from getting beaten to the snitch in the last game." She chuckled.

"Ouch, and how do you feel about going up against the best seeker this school has ever seen?" Dean smirked.

Lisa's eyes drifted towards Harry.

He gulped, and the heat in his face intensified. She eyed him as if he were a scrumptious dessert. He didn't like the look at all.

"Oh, I don't know, I don't intend to lose. But I guess I'll have to follow Potter here rather closely, won't I? The view from the back isn't too bad." She winked at Harry, allowing her eyes to drift to his seated rear end and turned away.

Harry almost cringed as she confirmed his worst apprehensions about her intentions towards him. He resisted the urge to scoot further on the bench in an effort to hide his backside.

"I feel violated" he muttered.

Ron, Dean and Seamus wolf-whistled, whereas Neville merely patted Harry on the shoulder with a sympathetic smile. Of all his friends he could understand Harry's plight best, after all, Neville 'Snakeslayer' Longbottom had his own posse of fangirls hunting him.

Harry's eyes swerved to the Slytherin table. The three heads, brown, auburn and a particularly fetching blonde one, were still bent together in what seemed to be an intense discussion, so intense that the blonde girl this time didn't spare him a glance. What by Merlin's unmentionables was that interesting?

"Oh, wow, she really isn't being subtle at all, is she?" Hermione murmured as she watched Lisa approach the Gryffindor table. A worried look appeared on Daphne's fair, beautiful face and Hermione did her best not to smirk. If only Daphne knew how much Harry was talking about her in the common room after seeing her!

Tracey, however, scowled at the Ravenclaw. "Honestly, just drop your knickers for him Lisa, why don't you." Tracey hissed.

Hermione raised an eyebrow. "She could offer to give him the world, Harry isn't interested in Lisa anyway."

"Someone didn't get the message." Daphne giggled, her eyes bright with relief.

Hermione gave her a knowing side glance. Oh yes, she had it bad for her best friend. To be honest, Harry would benefit from having someone like Daphne, someone who would care for him as he deserved. She still couldn't think about Ginny without becoming angry, Harry had done everything to protect her and yet she threw it in his face in a childish temper.

Her thoughts wandered back to that night they had danced in the tent; it would've been so easy for them to have given into their grief, their need for comfort and closeness, and she wouldn't have fought it. She loved him like a brother, but back then she just wanted to be held by him. Harry, however, had withstood the temptation and the unmistakable signs she had given him. She'd be eternally grateful for Harry's nobility that night and all the nights that followed, their friendship wouldn't have been the same had they gone down that path.

"So, Hermione, why do you say Harry isn't into the raven harlot? Know some inside information you would like to share?" Tracey asked, her eyes alight and a small smirk gracing her lips.

Daphne leaned forward slightly to listen in, her eyes peaked with interest.

Tracey gave Hermione a not so discreet wink behind Daphne's back, and Hermione suppressed a snort. So much for Slytherin subtlety! Not that she blamed Tracey, Daphne as well as Harry both were unbelievable shy, even infuriatingly so, and both needed every nudge in the right direction they could get. No time like the present to deliver another one.

"He told me as much, he was rather embarrassed about the potions incident. I can't blame him, I mean, he isn't a piece of meat." She huffed. "Really, half the girls are missing the point of what Harry wants."

"Which is?" Tracey asked.

"He just wants to be loved, not for being The-Boy-Who-Lived or The-Man-Who-Conquered, and as sure as hell not for his wealth, either. He grew up without his parents, from the little he told us I'm sure his home life… wasn't good. The only family he knows are Ron and I. Pure and simple, he wants to be loved as just Harry, and he wants a place to call home, something we all want, and it's something I think he's been robbed of for most of his life," she replied quietly.

"What do you mean by that?" Daphne asked. The blonde's eyes had turned dark with genuine concern for Harry during Hermione's words.

"It's not my story to tell, it's Harry's, but I think we can all agree his time at school was not the easiest and the wizarding world wasn't kind to him for most of it." Hermione sighed, and her stomach knotted itself into a hard ball. Would Harry make good on his words and leave the magical world at the end of the school year? Not that she blamed him, hell, even she had a mind to leave, given how the wizarding world had treated Muggleborns. Yet things were changing, and so she'd put off her decision. For now at least.

"Potter and his secrets, eh? I do like a man with some mystery." The smirk on Tracey's face deepened and she cast a feral look towards the man in question.

Hermione raised her eyebrows at this. What was going on there? This wasn't the first time Tracey made a suggestive comment about Harry. Was she also interested in her best friend? Or was this Tracey's weird way of motivating Daphne to make a move? It better had, or the vivacious Slytherin would be in for a disappointment, not to mention the damage it would cause to her friendship with Daphne. Both she and Ron had subtly enquired into whether Harry had any interest in Tracey, well, in Ron's case not so subtle. Harry's answer had been clear, he'd said he viewed her as a friend and she was not really his type.

"Honestly Tracey, you're nearly as bad as Lisa," Daphne muttered. The side glance she cast her friend wasn't very friendly.

"Well, if someone would get a move on, like I said… You carry on and Corner is going to think he has a shot with you." Tracey glared at the blonde, who blushed and lowered her eyes.

"Michael Corner?" Hermione asked, a touch of concern forming, given he'd been the one who went after Ginny.

"Yeah, the guy is always staring, last I heard he was planning on asking Daph to the after match party," Tracey said in a bored tone.

"And you know my feelings well and clear on that Tracey," Daphne replied. Some heat crept in her face at these words, and she gave her friend a hard look..

"Well, carry on and Harry might get the wrong idea."

"This isn't the place to talk about this!"

"Oh come off it, Granger has to know you're sweet on her best friend, with the way you keep staring at him everyday," Tracey said.

Daphne blushed even deeper and glanced about to make sure no one had heard what Tracey said.

Hermione gave her a placating smile. "I cast a privacy charm when Michael got brought up, the last thing we need is him getting an even bigger ego."

Relief flooded Daphne's face.

"And if it helps, I already know you like Harry." Hermione struggled to keep in a chuckle when Daphne flinched a little and glared at Tracey. "No, don't blame Tracey, no one told me, it's just something I've observed over the last few weeks. The pair of you never stop looking at each other when you think the other isn't looking."

"I don't - Wait, does he - Oh, this wasn't meant to come out!" Daphne stuttered, her face a deep crimson by now.

"Why not? Aren't you sure about your feelings?" Hermione asked. Why would Daphne be so worried about someone finding out? They were seventeen, nearly eighteen now after all, why did she still behave like a young teen?

"She's hopelessly in love with him," Tracey stated very bluntly.

"Tracey!" Daphne shrieked, and her eyes flashed with a mixture of anger and embarrassment.

The brunette rolled her eyes in response.

Hermione put her hand on her wand pocket. Would there be hexes flying any moment? Tracey's confession on Daphne's behalf was a bit below the belt.

She cut in before the situation got worse. "How long?

Daphne shifted her angry stare from Tracey to face her, the blonde's beautiful face softened as she did so.

"Er, I've liked him since third year, but I think I began falling in love with him during sixth year." Again, the colour of her cheeks deepened, and she avoided Hermione's eyes.

Hermione suppressed the broad smile that threatened to creep on her face. It wouldn't do to embarrass the poor girl even more. At the same time everything inside of her went light and giddy. Was that - finally! - what she'd been hoping for her best friend ever since Ginny turned her back on him? A woman who'd love him for what he was, all his insecurities and dark secrets included, and wouldn't drop him when the going got tough?

"Wow, and do you want to be with him?" she asked..

"Of course! But I cannot tell if he feels the same." Daphne still didn't look at her.

The broad smile refused to be suppressed any longer and almost split Hermione's face in half. "I'm glad. My advice, just keep doing what you are doing… Only make it a little clearer to him. He might be the Saviour-of-the-Wizarding-World, but he's still a man, not a mind reader."

There was a commotion behind them as the Gryffindor team all stood up and made to exit the Great Hall; Hermione blew a kiss to Ron.

Daphne looked up, a hopeful light in her eyes as she sought out Harry.

Hermione held in a squeal when Harry caught the blonde's eye and a big grin spread across his face, right up until the moment he collided with a rather slow rising Neville. Both young men fell to the stone floor in a crumpled mess.

The Great Hall erupted with laughter while both Harry and Neville struggled to untangle themselves.

"Gods, Nev, sorry mate!" Harry said whilst trying to stand.

"No, my fault!"

"These bloody robes are a nightmare!" Harry growled, scrambled up and pulled Neville with him. When the stood, they looked at each other and burst into laughter, all the while the rest of the team howled with laughter near the doors.

...

Harry corkscrewed through the air and dodged a bulger that whistled past. It may have missed its intended target, but it had caused him to lose sight of the snitch. The game was in the lion's favour, with the ravens causing the lions difficulty in the air after the Gryffindor chasers came out to a lead fast. The score was ninety to forty and forty-two minutes had gone by, the Gryffindor supporters were by far the loudest in the stands as the crimson garbed chasers weaved in and out of the blue.

Harry had spotted the snitch fairly early into the contest, however, they had clearly increased the speed of the little pest, for it put his Firebolt through its paces. To make matters worse it seemed to sense his movements and would dart away at the last moment, as always in the way he least expected, but that added to the thrill of the chase. Less thrilling, however, was a certain Ravenclaw seeker tailing him very closely. Lisa's broom was not able to keep pace with his, but her lighter frame meant she was more easily able to adjust to sudden changes in direction from the snitch. Still, she never seemed to press the advantage and hovered nearby instead. Was she hoping for her team to score a couple of more goals before she went for the snitch to give them an advantage in the race for the cup? Good luck with that, the Gryffindor chasers were still better and would leave the ravens in the dust. Or was she just trying to make him uneasy? He suppressed a snort, good luck with that, too. Others had tried before, Cho came to mind, but he'd not once let himself get distracted from the task at hand.

"Dean Thomas scores another for Gryffindor!" the announcer called into his musings.

Harry cheered for his teammate and gave himself an inner shove. No matter how annoying Lisa's tactic was, he'd better do his job, or she'd be successful in the end, and that just wouldn't do.

He scanned the pitch for that familiar glimmer of gold. No luck; he huffed and pulled his broom into a sharp turn that had Lisa shot past him for at least ten yards. He grinned and tried again from another angle.

There it was, at last, lingering near the Gryffindor supporters. Without a moment's pause he pushed forward. The wind battered his face, and the familiar tug of the excitement of the hunt made his heartbeat speed up.

"Potter has seen the snitch!" cried the announcer.

Damn the idiot, now Lisa would be all over him.

There was a fluttering of blue robes in the corner of his eye. Shit, he didn't favour their chances if Lisa caught the snitch, the lions lead by only fifty points, and the ravens were now focusing on their defence and preventing his team from scoring. On top of that the ravens had quite an effective pair of beaters. As on cue, the telltale buzzing sound of a bludger aimed at him forced him to make a sudden dip to the side. The bludger whizzed past where his head had been only a split-second before. He clenched his jaw in a grim smile; no, make that a brutal pair of beaters. This was the second time he'd nearly been struck by them and almost sent to the infirmary, if not worse.

The snitch caught onto the two seekers on its tail and shot straight up into the air. Harry was expecting this and pulled up to an almost vertical ascent. The cheering of his house spurned him on as he hurtled after the little gold object, which seemed to be aiming for the heavens. That's the one thing wizards had seemingly not accounted for with open air flying: lack of oxygen. How high up could he follow the snitch until his lungs gave out? The snitch kept its upwards assent, seemingly testing the seekers resolve. Up they went, high and higher, until the snitch finally decided on a path parallel to the ground.

Harry chanced a glance back to the stadium. It had become a tiny speck in a landscape of grey rocks and green pastures, the spectators in the stands not discernible anymore, next to a slightly larger brown blob: the castle. How far up were they? Thousand feet? No, it had to be more, at least three-thousand feet. His breath came in short, hard gasps. Was that due to the strain the fast, steep ascent had put on his body, or was it already the lack of oxygen?

It didn't matter, he almost had the damned thing. About time, too; Lisa was about to catch up with him. He stretched out his hand. Just a couple of inches more… three… two...

The snitched jerked, then dove to the ground like a hawk plunging down on its prey.

With a growl of annoyance Harry pointed the handle of his broom into a vertical dive down. Hah, try to match that, Turpin! His stomach leapt upwards, as if in a fast descending elevator, and his eyes on the snitch, he barely registered the ground rapidly coming into view. He was going to catch this bugger, even if it killed him.

Was Lisa still right behind him? He didn't dare to turn his head, he had to focus on not losing control of the broom, not to mention he wouldn't let escape that damned snitch. He strained his ears, there was still the telltale flapping of robes above the rushing of the wind in his ears. The closer he got to the ground, the rushing of the wind was overlaid by a roar that became louder by the second.

He was maybe thirty feet from the ground now and the snitch still hadn't pulled from its dive. Was that damned thing trying to run him into the ground?

In the last possible moment it arched and skimmed the grass covered pitch. The carpet of green raced towards him, the roar of the crowds became deafening, he pulled the handle of his broom up and kicked with his legs to level out from his dive.

The momentum nearly sent him crashing into the grass, he fought against the centrifugal force and clenched his teeth as his muscles screamed in protest.

The crowds still roared with excitement. He blended them out, all that mattered to him was the tiny golden ball that still zoomed ahead, close to the ground, mere inches away. He stretched alongside his broom, yet his knees skimmed the ground. Thank Merlin for their heavy padding, or Madam Pomfrey would have his head. He reached out with his hand, the snitch was mere inches away…

CRACK!

A cannonball hit him in the right side, a sharp pain raced through his body. His sight blackened at the edges, he swayed on his broom and had trouble breathing. That damned bludger seemed to have splintered at least two ribs.

"Oh, now, that has to be a foul!" called the commentator.

Harry let out a grim snort, that guy was such a bright spark. He concentrated on the snitch again, the damned thing seemed to be tired from its crazy flight - at last! - and hadn't made much headway while he fought to stay on his broom. He still could make it…

He reached out with his right hand; a blinding pain seared through his right side, and his eyes watered. He changed the grip on his hands on the broom handle, reached out with his left arm, the cool metal of the snitch against his finger tips. With a grunt of pain he closed his hand around the offending object.

"Potter has caught the snitch, and with only five minutes to go! Gryffindor leads two-hundred-and-forty to fifty!"

Harry brought his broom to a slow pace and eased to the ground, relief flooded him and he took a deep breath. Again, pain seared through his body, and he gritted his teeth. Ouch, this had been a mistake.

From his spot on the ground he watched the few remaining minutes of the game. The Ravenclaw team's spirits were broken, it was visible in the way they hunched on their brooms, and that one of their chasers managed one last goal before the whistle with an hail-Mary-pass didn't change the outcome. Gryffindor had won, and the warmth of victory spread in his chest.

The Ravenclaw team moved over to Lisa who had hovered over the house supporters.

He sat on the grass, the bugger of a snitch held firmly in his hand, too much in pain to move, when Ron swooped down and hopped off his broom.

"Bloody hell, mate, you trying to give me a heart attack? And where's that bloody beater, I'm going to batter the git!" Ron grumbled as he reached him.

"I caught it, didn't I?" Harry laughed and then winced as his ribs and lungs burned in protest.

"Yeah bu-"

"Harry James Potter!" a familiar voice shouted.

Both boys winced.

"Sorry, mate" Ron said sheepishly as a very irate Hermione appeared beside him.

"What the hell was that little stunt? And where is that beater, you wait till I get my hands on him," she ranted.

Harry and Ron exchanged a smirk at her echoing of Ron's statement.

"It was the snitch! And he is over there, not with us. Who was it?" Harry said.

"I think it was Michael, mate, not sure." Ron glared at the team on the other side of the stadium.

"Mr Potter! Hospital wing, now!" Headmistress McGonagall's shrill voice shouted over the hubbub in the stadium.

Harry opened his mouth to argue, however, the firm glare from his former head of house silenced him.

"It's either get examined behind a screen in private, Mr Potter, or in the middle of the pitch, your choice. Now, where is that beater? Madam Hooch!" She marched off to the Ravenclaw team, her angry expression didn't bode well for the Ravenclaw beater.

"Come on, mate." Ron still chuckled about McGonagall's wrath as he and Hermione helped ease Harry up from the ground. "Let's get you booked in, by now why don't they just rename it the Potter wing?" Ron said, and exchanged a look of concern with Hermione when Harry let out a cry of pain.

"Harry?" Hermione asked, her eyes wide with worry.

"It's nothing, I think a rib or two might be broken, just easy on the way up, yeah?" He winced when he straightened and another sharp pain stabbed his side .

"You could've had a punctured lung, you idiot!" Hermione hissed.

"Come on, love, it's not his fault the beater sent it right at him." Ron jumped in, but shut his mouth with and audible snap when his girlfriend whirled around and glared at him.

"It's dangerous Ronald!" she snapped. The next second her voice was all solicitude. "Come on Harry, let's get you to the wing, I think Ron has a point, they need to rename it now."

"Oh great, just another thing the attention seeking Harry Potter would demand from the world." Harry sniggered.

"I mean, it would be a small thing to claim. I mean, what have you had from your fame over the years? Though, personal the harem of Veelas was my favourite so far." Ron laughed, albeit he had grown more serious since his slight dressing down by Hermione.

"Don't! Did you see the way Gabrielle looked at me for a week after she read that?" Harry groaned, which earned him hearty chuckles from his two friends. His insides grew warm. How blessed he was with friends like them!

He tightened his arms around his two friends as they held him steady and walked back to the castle.

"You know, you nearly scared poor Daphne half to death on that dive," Hermione said in a casual tone.

Harry looked at her, his face warmed at that faint pulse in his gut, caused by the mentioning of Daphne's name. What was Hermione up to? Her tone had been just a tad off to be casual, she had tried too much.

His stomach gave a nervous jerk. The last thing he wanted was scaring Daphne, she'd been through too much lately. "I'm sorry."

"When are you going to tell us you like her, then?" Hermione still was much too casual.

His heart skipped a beat. How did she know? Heat shot in his face.

"What?" Harry all but shouted, and ignored Ron's chuckling.

"Oh, come on, ever since the first day of term you've looked out for her in the great hall or lessons. Do you think we are blind? She's got it as bad as you, you both always look at each other first when we all meet up," she replied.

Ron nodded."That and your face when you know we are meeting up with her and Tracey, mate, I've never seen you so happy." There was no trace of teasing in Ron's voice.

"I... I haven't really thought about it. I mean, sure, we are friendly and I enjoy seeing her, like a lot" Who was he fooling here? He was attracted to Daphne, and when he found out she was single he'd been giddy with relief. Each day he did look forward to seeing her. Oh yeah, he liked her and fancied her quite a bit. However, would she find him good enough once she got to know him better?

"But?" Ron asked.

"Well, its awkward, but Ginny didn't exactly think I was worth waiting for, and Daphne is a good looking girl, guys are always looking at her and quite a few are even making a move on her. Outside of my fame, what do I have to give that others don't?" he asked, and his shoulders sagged.

"Well, you're kind for one" Hermione said.

"Brave and loyal" said Ron.

"Smart and generous" she added.

"Got a great body and a good sized –"

"Ronald!" Hermione jerked her head around to her boyfriend, her cheeks tinted pink.

"Oh right, it's fine for you lot to say that, but the minute I do it's weird?" Ron protested.

Harry suppressed a grin. "Last time I use the locker room showers," he muttered.

"Do I need to be worried, Ron?" Hermione giggled, and now it was her boyfriend's turn to flush red.

"Are you saying I'm not good enough for Harry if I were gay?" Ron tried to sound affronted, but the grin on his face gave him away.

"Oh god, will you both get me to the hospital wing before this gets out of hand?" Harry groaned, followed by the laughter of his two best friends.

…

Hermione floated the last of the balloons to suspend midair in the room of requirement, and placed her hands on her hips, happy with her work. They were throwing a post match celebration, however extending it to the rest of the houses in spirit of interhouse relations.

"I know we won, love, but red and gold balloons everywhere?" Ron asked from the doorway.,

His girlfriend spun around on the spot with a large grin. "There is nothing wrong with a little house pride, is there?" she asked.

Ron chuckled whilst leaning against the door frame, and let his eyes roam the room. His lips were still curved in a smile, but eventually the laughter left his eyes.

Hermione's stomach dropped. "Ron, what's wrong?" she asked, her concern for her boyfriend evident in her voice.

"I miss Fred, you know," he said. Although he tried to sound casual, the quiver in his voice was obvious.

Hermione was next to him in a moment and embraced him.

Ron relaxed into her arms and looked at her with shining eyes. "I just see everyone getting along, and finally there is no hate, you know. He and George never really bought into the house rivalry, sure, they pranked the snakes more than anyone else, but mainly just Malfoy, Nott and them lot." He paused and stared at the door.

"He died just outside of this room." He gestured to the hallway in front of the room. "He died fighting for something he would never get to see. Percy told me that when… it happened, he and Fred had come across a few death eaters who had been chasing a group of young Slytherins who panicked when Flitch tried to take them to the dungeons." Ron paused again for a moment, he gulped, and he balled his hands into fists and opened them again in an attempt to keep his emotions in check. "Fred and Percy gathered the children behind them and defended them against the death eaters, one of the death eaters got struck down by Percy, but… the spell the death eater cast still left his wand and raced towards the kids. Fred… just stepped between it and the kids." His voice choked, and he averted his face.

Hermione held him close, this was news to her, the Weasleys did not talk about Fred's death. Both she and Harry had wondered what had caused Ron to do a sudden u-turn on his hatred of Slytherin but now she had a rough idea.

"Is that why you have had no issue with Daphne and Tracey?" she asked in a quiet voice.

He gave a small nod in reply. "Fred didn't think about what house those kids were in, he put himself in harm's way because they needed help. How could I go on hating a person purely by their house when my brother died protecting them?" He turned his head to look at her. His eyes were dry, yet still shining, and dark from the memory that haunted him.

Hermione straightened herself. "We can skip this if you don't feel like celebrating. Get some hot chocolate, a bit of cake and sit by the fire, just the two of us."

He smiled, but shook his head. "Another time, we have all the time in the world now."

She gave the red and gold balloons a contemplative look and turned back to Ron. A small smile appeared on her face. "I think I know what Fred would've liked," she whispered.

Ron raised his eyebrows in a silent question.

She broke off their embrace, pulled out her wand, and waved it at the balloons in a complicated pattern.

The balloons swayed in the air, their solid colours gave way to blotches of green, silver, blue, bronze, yellow and black. The blotches morphed, turned into tiny rivulets, and then red and gold, green and silver, blue and bronze, and black and yellow spiralled around each one, the colours of each house twisted together.

Ron stared at the balloons, a huge smile on his face. "I think he would have liked that." His smile became broader. "Though, he probably would've thought them rather plain. Can you make fire shooting from them, love?"

…

"Hermione is going to have my hide for being late." Harry groaned as both he and Hannah made it to the top of the last set of steps and onto the seventh floor. Poppy had kept him far longer than he deemed necessary, not that he was going to tell her that, of course.

Hannah chuckled. She had been coming by the medical wing on the way to the party just as Harry had all but ran out following a telling off from the stern matron.

"Well, if you stopped getting hurt, Potter, you wouldn't have been late, for everything."

Harry glared at her, but couldn't help the grin that broke through..

"What did she say it was? You were in there all afternoon?"

"Two broken ribs and some splinters had hit my lung. Didn't pierce it, mind you, just needed a few healing spells and an observation period," he replied casually.

Hannah rolled her eyes. "Honestly? Only you, Harry, will say that's nothing. Anyone else would have stayed in the infirmary overnight. Anyway, why are we rushing? You've never cared for being on time!"

"It's not me rushing, it's you walking in a snail's pace. You sure you aren't just avoiding Nev? I mean, why else would you walk so slow." He wriggled his eyebrows at her and had to take a leap backwards when she took a swipe at him.

"I am not avoiding him," she hissed.

Harry smirked and raised an eyebrow. "Really? What was that in the library yesterday? You all but dove into the isles between the bookshelves when you saw Neville speaking to Madam Prince."

"Look it's nothing!" the tall blonde haired girl replied, throwing her arms into the air.

Again Harry just raised an eyebrow.

The Hufflepuff sighed. "Fine!" she paused, folded her arms and opened her mouth. Yet nothing came out.

"Well?" he pressed.

She murmured something barely indistinguishable.

"You are going to have to speak up, Hannah."

"I kissed Neville, alright!" she whispered, cast her eyes to the ground and turned bright red.

Harry's jaw slackened, why had Nev been keeping this a secret? Hannah was a kind and beautiful girl, nothing to be ashamed of and hide in a cupboard.

"When?"

"Like an hour before we saw him in the library," she muttered.

His eyebrows went up. Why the hell did she dive into the stacks then?

"Ok... "

"Well, when I say I kissed him, I basically mauled him when we were talking about our herbology essay. Needless to say he was not expecting it, I have no idea what came over me, Harry!" She grabbed his arms and shook him.

Harry broke out into laughter."Well, I guess that explains the dive, what happened after you… what was it? Mauled him?"

Hannah glared at him. "I don't know, I ran off"

"Aah..! Well, there is only one thing for it, then" Harry said, took her arm and propelled her forward to their destination.

"Which is?"

"You go find Neville and talk it out… Or snog it out"

SMACK!

"Ouch!" Harry yelped and rubbed his backside. "Hannah, touching another man's bottom, what would Nev think!" he cried in mock horror.

"Carry on, Harry and that seven and a half of yours will be a two in a flash!" she said with a flushed face and flaring nostrils.

Harry's face dropped, how in blazing hell did she know about that?

"Right, has Hermione been talking, I am so going to have words with her later about privacy!"

This time it was Hannah's turn to laugh. "Nah, Lisa overheard this morning and told us as the girls were getting ready." She chuckled and gave him a seductive smile.

Harry's inside went cold. What was she up to now?

"Say, if things go south with Neville… Maybe we could also go south together?" she whispered and bit her bottom lip.

Harry's eyes goggled, and he recoiled.

Hannah burst out laughing. "Oh gods, that was fun! Harry, you're great and I won't lie you're fit, but I like Neville"

Harry blew a sigh of relief and chuckled along.

"Lisa however did say she would love to give you a -"

"Not another word!" he muttered and pulled her along the corridor. "We are late as it is, come on!"

Hannah looked at her watch and nodded, and the pair of them continued on their way to the room of requirement quietly.

Hannah was clearly mulling over her next move with Neville, whilst Harry's mind was occupied by one Daphne Greengrass. The whole time he'd sat in that damned hospital bed he'd been thinking of her and wanted nothing more than to just see her, talk to her and more and more recently kiss her. He suppressed a groan, he was head over heels and fancied the hell out of her, and judging by what Hermione had hinted she might feel the same way. How did he tell her, though?

He was bought out from his musings when they reached the doors to the room of requirement. They both stopped, looked at each other with a small nod and pulled open the doors.

Loud music blared into their faces, and a cacophony of cheers greeted them.

Harry blinked. Were that flaming coloured balloons?

Hermione skipped over to him with a bottle in hand. "Harry! You're late! Hi Hannah!" she chimed and pulled him into the room, leaving Hannah to go off and find Susan and company. "Ron, Harry is here!"

The redhead smiled, came over, and pulled him into a one armed hug. "How's the ribs, mate?"

"Tender, but otherwise good, how is the party going?" Harry said and took the glass with an orange liquid Hermione shoved into his hand. He was thirsty, so he took a gulp. Liquid fire seemed to burn down his throat, and he coughed. "Merlin, Hermione, what did you put into that drink?"

"Orange juice and dry gin, it's wonderful!" She giggled.

Well, that was debatable, but considering Hermione's behaviour it was probably better to drop that matter. "Is she drunk?" Harry whispered to Ron, who merely shrugged and laughed as Hermione darted onto the makeshift dance floor and started dancing solo. "Oh, I am so going to rub this in tomorrow morning!" Harry laughed, Ron joining him.

"Mate, I think your fair lady needs rescuing." Ron gestured towards a corner across the dance floor.

Harry looked to where his friend was pointing, and his stomach dropped.

Michael Corner stood with Daphne and Tracey, his eyes firmly on the former with a gleam he didn't like at all. What was he supposed to do? The small boy in the cupboard told him to leave it, he was not worthy of Daphne, but the grown up Harry part was screaming at him to do something.

Well, he was a Gryffindor, and head boy and the son of James Potter, wasn't he? That, and Sirius would kick his backside if he knew he just stood back like a meek child.

He pushed his glass into Ron's hand. "I'll be right back," he said, and raised his chin in determination.

"Go onward, my noble knight, rescue the fair maiden!" Ron gave him a small salute.

He shook his head, seemed Ron also had one too many of the orange poison.

He passed through the crowd of people, the whole of sixth and seventh year must have been in attendance of the party, there were even some fifth years mingling.

As he approached the trio, Corner's overly self-confident voice reached his ears.

"I must say, Daphne, you're looking beautiful tonight, has anyone ever told you that?"

His cocky grin had Harry ball his fists.

"Going to take me up on my offer of a date to Hogsmeade next weekend?" Corner's tone indicated he didn't expect a rejection.

"I have other plans…" she replied with wide eyes, and she retreated a step from the git. It was obvious she had no idea how to deal with him.

Tracey was glaring at the boy.

What did Ron say about the knight in shining armour? Seemed the time had come now. However, would he have the guts to pull it off? His stomach gave an uncomfortable leap, and his heartbeat sped up.

His eyes met Daphne's. The unmistakable relief in them when she saw him did nothing to quieten down his stomach. This time, however, a swarm of butterflies had taken residence there. He squared his shoulders.

"Sorry to cut in, but I believe this is my dance." He held his hand out to Daphne.

Her eyes brightened, and his heart gave another delighted jolt, though he could've done without the hungry look from Tracey.

"It's rather rude to interrupt!" Michael said over his shoulder. He turned around, and when he recognised Harry, a smirk crossed his face and he puffed out his chest. "How's the ribs after that cracker in the game?"

What a git! Well, two could play that game. "Splendid, although not half as good as winning," Harry replied and allowed his smugness about their win to colour his voice.

Tracey snorted, and the corner of Daphne's mouth twitched.

Had she an idea how cute she looked? The butterflies in his stomach swarmed out for another round. "Now, as much as I'd like to chat, Corner, I owe Daphne here a dance." He gave her a small bow, his hand still held out to her.

"I'd love to!" Daphne said, and put her hand in his. The butterflies in his stomach went haywire.

As Harry led Daphne onto the dancefloor, she breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you so much for getting me out of that one! Tracey was enjoying herself far too much!"

"Anytime, we don't have to dance if…"

"No, I want to." She cut him off and blushed. "I mean, we have to, right? Otherwise he might get the wrong idea."

It took him a moment to get her hint.

"Sound reasoning, we couldn't have that, could we?" he replied.

She smiled and shook her head. "No, that wouldn't do."

He laughed, they had yet to start dancing, and they both appeared too nervous to make the first move.

From the corner of his eyes Harry caught Hermione approach the wireless. When she sensed his gaze on her, she gave him a broad grin and an exaggerated wink. To what was she up to?

She fiddled with the dials, moments later the soft, slow rhythm of Leann Rimes' song 'How Do I Live' drifted through the room of requirement. As if on cue, people paired up and moved together.

"I don't know this, it's definitely not wizard music," Daphne said. A faint blush appeared on her cheeks as she watched the couples on the dance floor snuggling so close together that a sheet of parchment wouldn't fit between them, and swaying to the music.

"It's by a muggle singer and Hermione's favourite. She heard it in a pub over the summer and never stopped playing it since." He looked across the dancefloor towards his best friend, his eyebrows creased in a slight frown. What's the point of that? Was that her not-so-subtle-way to push him and Daphne together?

Across the room Hermione made a motion as if pulling someone to her chest and then swayed her hips to the music.

He suppressed the urge to roll his eyes at his best friend. Real subtle, Granger. He chanced a glance at the girl beside him. Had she noticed Hermione's bold meddling?

"It's delightful, wizarding music is so… bland," Daphne said and looked him straight in the eyes, while the blush on her cheeks seemed to deepen.

His breath hitched. Was there an invitation in these beautiful blue orbs?

She averted her eyes, then looked again.

The glare he got from Corner from the edge of the room gave his inner Gryffindor the final push.

"May I?" he said and stepped closer, careful not to seem too forward or make her feel uncomfortable.

She looked up at him, a strange little smile around her lips, and gave a slight nod of her head, her cheeks now a deep pink. Gods, was she beautiful!

His heart beat a drum roll as he gathered his courage and placed his hands on her waist, high enough so not to risk brushing the top of her backside and low enough that he did not risk go anywhere near her chest. Delight fired through him at the feel of her slender form beneath his hands.

She looked up at him again, there was a shift in her blue eyes, as if a small fire had been lit there, and his heart beat so loud she had to hear it.

Ever so slowly Daphne placed her hands on his forearms. Was she going to push him away?

The next second her hands slid up his biceps, over his shoulders, and settled near his neck. It took everything within him not to shiver with delight, everywhere her hands went it felt warm and pure. They hadn't broken eye contact yet, his face burned and her pink blush had darkened, yet there was something in the depth of her eyes that assured him he was doing just right, and encouraged him to continue.

Harry relaxed, he allowed his body to react with the music, and they joined the rest of the dancers in a slow swaying movement. It was rather intimate, and now Daphne seemed to move even closer to him, or had he moved his hands a little further around her back, just because this was so good?.

He glanced down at her. Was she uncomfortable, or worse, offended by his boldness? At the same moment she looked up to him, and their eyes met.

"You played well today," Daphne said in a soft voice. .

He had been told that all day, but that compliment coming from her made his chest burn with pride. "Thank you, the team did well."

Her fingers locked behind his neck, and the bare skin of her slender arms that touched his sent the butterflies in his stomach into overdrive. "I didn't say the team though, did I Harry?" she said with a small laugh.

"Just trying to stay humble." He chuckled.

"Never change that, it's one of your most endearing traits." The colour of her face deepened, yet she didn't avert her gaze.

Merlin, she really meant it. His hands slipped even further around her waist as if on their own accord.

"How are your ribs, now that the measuring contest is over?" she asked in an obvious attempt to cover her embarrassment.

"You caught that? They are tender, so no squeezing." He shot a grin at her; as if he'd complain if she wanted to squeeze him.

Her eyes darkened, and she bit her lip. "I was… worried when you nearly hit the ground, and then that damned bludger hit you…"

"I am touched by your concern, but there was no real danger. Besides that, it's Quidditch, injuries during a game are the norm." He gave her what he hoped was an encouraging smile to alleviate her concern, no matter how her obvious worries about him made his heart soar.

She grimaced. " I know, but I prefer you in one piece." She turned bright red at that admission and averted her eyes.

His breath hitched, that was more than just friendly concern. His heart seemed to get ready to jump out of his chest with giddiness. Yet, she was embarrassed about her boldness. He had to find a way to show her how much he appreciated her concern and assure her she didn't make a fool of herself. He tightened his grip around her just one tad, careful not to seem overbearing.

"Michael was right about one thing though." He paused, and she turned her eyes back to him. Gods, his stomach wouldn't stop flipping. "You are beautiful tonight, well more so that you normally are, I mean..." The words stumbled out of his mouth, and heat shot into his cheeks. Smooth, Potter, James Bond has nothing on you when you fluster like that! Where was the ground to swallow him up? He didn't dare look at Daphne.

"I… Thank you," she said in a breathless, small voice.

He chanced a glance at her.

She looked down, her face was almost buried in his chest, and her warm breath caressed his skin through the thin fabric of his t-shirt. Her body melted against his, the pulse point on her delicate neck throbbed and betrayed her quickened pulse.

He tried to withdraw a bit from her, if this carried on much longer, his body would betray him and make Daphne fully aware of how he felt right now.

"You're welcome." His voice sounded hoarse.

"No, I mean it, it sounds genuine coming from you, and not like some ploy to try and get me into bed." She gave him another gentle smile that made him almost lose his senses there and then.

How dared those pricks to make a move on her? Couldn't they see just how special she was? He took a deep breath, no, they probably hadn't it in them, after all, most teenage males tended to think with their dicks. Once again his cheeks became warm. Who was he fooling? It wasn't like the thought of sleeping with the wonderful girl in his arms hadn't entered his head. Yet, when… no, if he ever got the chance, it had to be special, for both of them, and not just a spur of the moment thing, caused by an excess of hormones.

"Well, I can't say I blame them for wanting you. Though I feel they are missing on many beautiful things about yourself." Gods, had he just talked aloud? How much gin did Hermione put into that drink?

Daphne's eyes dilated and glazed over, her gaze flicked to his lips, and her arms tightened around him as a slight breath exhaled from her lips.

"And what might those be?" Her voice sounded breathless.

He looked down on her upturned face. Had she an idea what she did to him? Every nerve in his body was on fire, his feelings were in overdrive, all he wanted to do was kiss those lips of hers until all sense and logic had abandoned him.

They had to get out of here, had to find a place to be alone and talk, where he could tell her how he felt about her...

"Do you trust me?"

"With my life." The conviction in her tone was undeniable.

Something tightened in his chest, and he clenched his teeth. How could she give him, a male, her trust so freely, given what she nearly endured not two months prior? He would not break that trust.

"Come with me." He let go of her waist and took her hand. He whisked a laughing Daphne Greengrass through the crowd of dancers and cared neither for their indignant protests and the looks of confusion on their faces, nor for Ron's wolf whistle.

Daphne's laughter was infectious, and they didn't stop laughing all the way to the Astronomy Tower. When they reached the top, they were both out of breath.

Daphne was first to get her breathing under control. "So, my trust in you brings me to the highest point in the castle? Do you intend to throw me off the edge?" she asked with a gentle smile as she walked around the spacious tower.

"Not at all. I hope you don't find this strange, but we haven't been able to spend much time alone together…" That sounded wrong. He kicked himself up the backside mentally and straightened. He was the son of James and Lily Potter, he would sort whatever there was between him and this wonderful girl out. "I mean, I wanted to just have time to talk… You know, away from all the noise and prying eyes."

She didn't look at him and froze, and his heart dropped into the deepest pit of his stomach. Had he misread everything?

She turned her head to face him, her cheeks flushed a petty pink, and gave him a long look.

That expression in her eyes… Was that hope? His stomach jolted, and his heart seemed to want to jump right out of his chest that moment.

"What would you like to talk about?" she asked. Her voice quivered slightly.

"Anything… everything…" Gods, he sounded like an idiot. He looked up at the night sky, dotted with a million stars like a sequin blanket above them. "What do the stars mean to you, Daphne?"

The fabric of Daphne's dress rustled, he caught a whiff of her enticing perfume, and the next moment her warmth permeated his side. Merlin, she had to stand right beside him. The hairs on his arms rose, and his heartbeat sounded like a drum in his ears.

"I will admit I've never given it much thought, what do they mean to you?"

"They mean a lot to me." He paused. Would he have the guts to tell her about his most intimate thoughts, thoughts even Ron and Hermione didn't know? Then again, if she was as special as he thought her to be she would understand and not judge him.

He took a deep breath. It was now or never. Still looking at the nightly sky, he said, "For eleven years all I would do at night was look up at the ceiling of the... windowless room I had in my aunt's house and feel so... empty, like no light existed in the darkness. Only when I came to Hogwarts, for the first time I got to see the night sky clearly, with the lack of light pollution, and I thought how beautiful it was." He looked down on her at last.

Her eyes, full of curiosity at what he meant, caught his and didn't let go.

It was like a surge of electricity rushed through him. Yes, he could tell her everything. He took another deep breath. His eyes never leaving hers, he said, "When I learned about my parents and this whole world I almost thought the stars magical in their own way, you know. I often find myself wondering if all those we've lost linger up there, watching over us."

"That's a very beautiful way of thinking, there is something pure in starlight," she whispered, and shivered.

"Are you cold? I could cast some warming charms."

"No, it's fine," she replied, yet she leaned closer to him, her bare arm brushed his covered one, and her face flushed.

He caught his breath. Ever so slowly he brought his arm up and put it around her shoulders, and allowed his body heat to warm her. Merlin, he was a jittery bundle of nerves right now.

"Better?" he whispered.

"Much," she whispered back.

Merlin, she was so beautiful, he couldn't keep his eyes off her. He pulled her closer. She didn't resist and melted into his body.

"Sometimes I wonder if my parents are looking down at me, mum maybe frowning when I hand in homework late, dad waving his hands wildly when I miss the snitch. I know I've done good things, I'm not going to say I haven't, I avenged my parents deaths and all those others who died needlessly. But I wonder if I make them proud outside of that?"

"A parent is always proud of their child in one way or another, Harry, but yours? Believe me, if they are looking down at you they are doing nothing but smiling at who you have become, who you have been. You have done so much for our world, even when we didn't deserve it, you even died for us." Her voice caught at the last words.

Another jolt went through him. How did she know? His almost-death at Voldemort's hand in the Forbidden Forest was one of magical Britain's best kept secrets. Minister Shacklebolt himself had obliviated all Death Eaters who were present in the clearing from that memory.

"What gives you that idea?"

Tears leaked from her eyes.

Oh gods, what had he done?

She snuggled closer. "It isn't hard to know Harry, we all saw your body and that... filth gloating about it. He wouldn't have gloated like that if he knew you weren't dead. I couldn't believe it when you were alive… The relief... I thought I'd never have a chance…" She clammed up right there, but didn't pull away.

"A chance?" he asked.

She looked up at him, her eyes still running with tears, and a look of determination on her facet he hadn't seen on her before.

"What do you think of me, Harry?"

His breath caught, and his stomach somersaulted. This was the tipping point, if he didn't take his chance now he never would be able to. From the corner of his eye he caught a twinkling star. Was that Sirius? He almost laughed out loud at the thought that his godfather was right now palming his face and shaking his head.

That did the trick. He leaned towards her and looked right in her hopeful eyes.

"I used to think the stars in the night sky were the most beautiful thing I had ever seen. Then I saw you for what I felt for the first time. You were always beautiful, but the house divides prevented me from seeing it. I got to know you, and gods, Daphne, I'd trade all those stars just for a moment to look at you. "

It was out there, the words would never return. His heart seemed to stop, the small child in the cupboard clung on like a dead weight as he waited for her response.

She turned in his arms to face him, and the light in her eyes almost blinded him.

"Do you know how many times I've dreamed you'd say something like that to me?"

His heartbeat was back, his body almost floated from the weight of unease being taken from him. A smile crept into his face, he pulled her closer and dipped his head. The final invitation was hers to make.

"And what do you think of me?"

Her eyes flickered to his slightly parted lips, she paused, then closed the remaining distance and pressed her lips against his in a brief, gentle kiss that had his knees buckle.

She inched back, as if to judge his response, her eyes full of unease all of a sudden.

He did not allow her to pull back farther, pulled her even closer against him and caught her lips with his own, all his self-restraint thrown to the wind.

Daphne let out an excited little murmur, slid her arms around his shoulders to anchor herself, and returned his kiss.

It was a slow, gentle kiss, he tasted the salt from her tears on her lips and tightened his embrace, for once at ease in the arms of someone who truly cared for him.

...

So I have decided to extend this by one additional chapter, one where were will get to see Harry & Daphne's relationship at school. I also have a one-shot in the works.

Let me know your thoughts!


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